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This transcript has been edited for clarity.
James Henderson, age 31: “There is a systemic lack of trust as far as the medical field, and doctors.”
Christian Cervantes, age 27: “No one gets better. You’re just a number.”
Cydney Byers, age 22: “I can’t really say I trust one specific person.”
Kelly Davis: For a lot of young adults, healthcare doesn’t begin in a doctor’s office anymore. It starts online. Whether it’s TikTok, YouTube, or Reddit, many are turning to social media and online communities to look up symptoms, compare treatments, and better understand their health before ever seeing a doctor. At the same time, rising healthcare costs, fragmented care experiences, and public debates during the COVID-19 pandemic have shaped how this generation views medical institutions and expertise. So how much do young adults trust the medical system? And who do they turn to for medical advice? I’m Kelly Davis, a health editor at Medscape. I went to a town in the Midwest to talk to some people about their health experience.
When you have a health concern and need more information, where do you go?
Shelby Warner, age 28: “I don’t really have a place that I go. My trust is in my stepmom, who is a social worker and works for KU Medical. But other than that, I’ve had a very hard time finding a primary care doctor.”
Lavonte Yancey, age 28: “The internet and a local doctor.”
James Henderson, age 31: “This is going to sound bad: ChatGPT.”
Christian Cervantes, age 27: “I go to herbal doctors, or there’s a free herbal clinic in Omaha, Nebraska. And I fast.”
Chelsea Nettle, age 31: “I would start with my PCP, and if I’m not getting the answers that I need from them, then I’d probably do more research on my own and reach out to see if I can get referrals on my own.”
Cydney Byers, age 22: “Depending on what the medical issue could be or the health concern, I typically go to urgent care at the school or I go to the hospital.”
Do you have a good relationship with a doctor or other healthcare provider that you see regularly?
Shelby Warner, age 28: “Nope. Not at all.”
Lavonte Yancey, age 28: “Yes.”
James Henderson, age 31: “No. I try harder to lean on natural remedies and the things that my grandmother or great-grandmother used to tell me about, rather than trusting healthcare professionals.”
Chelsea Nettle, age 31: “I would say I’m most close with my psychiatrist, and if I need any other information then I’ll just reach out and see where I can go from there.”
Cydney Byers, age 22: “I can’t really say I trust one specific person, because I go to different people depending on what’s going on.”
Lyric Nichols, age 21: “No. I think it’s more common when you’re younger. But as you get older, you have to find someone that fits with you, and I haven’t found that one yet. I feel like reputation is important — someone who hears me and not just sees me as another patient.”
True or false: The average person who does their own research on health issues may be as knowledgeable as a doctor.
Shelby Warner, age 28: “In some cases. Honestly, as someone who has done a lot of research on myself, people are very discrediting of self-diagnosing, in general. And I have my own opinion on self-diagnosing. If you’ve done the research and really gone down the rabbit holes, I think it should be credited a little bit. Even if you’re not a doctor.”
Lavonte Yancey, age 28: “No. Because they don’t take the time out of their personal day to look up their own health matters or public health matters.”
Chelsea Nettle, age 31: “I would say not, because there’s a lot of biases out there. So if you’re biased on a topic, then that’s the research you’re going to look up, and I feel like a lot of research could match whichever way you’re going, depending on your trusted sources.”
Lyric Nichols, age 21: “False. Because doctors spend a lot of time in residencies and medical school to know information than someone looking it up.”
This video is part of an ongoing, year-long Medscape series examining the decline of public trust in medicine. More content is available here.
