Health Information and Trust

The monitor

KFF Poll Shows Three in Ten Adults Turn to Social Media or AI for Health Information, with Lower-Income Adults More Likely to Cite Cost and Access Barriers as a Reason

The Monitor explores the latest KFF Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust, which finds roughly three in ten adults report turning to social media (31%) or AI chatbots (29%) at least monthly for health information and advice. The top reasons people report turning to social media for health advice are wanting to hear from those with similar experiences or a desire for quick information.

Rare or Unverified Outcomes Shape Vaccine Safety and Gender Care Debates

Two recent federal actions, including a memo about alleged COVID-19 vaccine deaths and legal settlements creating a gender-affirming care “detransition clinic,” show how official actions can present uncertain or uncommon outcomes as representative and lend credibility to narratives that go beyond what evidence supports.

Hantavirus Outbreak Revives COVID-Era False Health Claims

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Polling

People Without a Trusted Health Care Provider Are More Likely to Endorse False Vaccine Claims

This poll looks at exposure to and belief in several vaccine myths and finds that people without a trusted health care provider, and those who regularly use social media or AI for health information, are generally more likely than others to belief the false claims. It also analyzes belief across vaccine myths, showing the share of the public that are consistent myth believers, consistent myth deniers, and those who land in the “mixed middle.”

Dashboard: Polling on Health Information and Trust

Drawing on KFF’s poll findings, this interactive dashboard tracks the public’s trusted sources for health information, attitudes toward vaccines, and use of news, social media, and AI for health-related information.