Rebuilding trust in health care and science; future of bioethics; early signs of dementia
November 16, 2023
Rebuilding Trust in Health Care and Science Special report provides actionable insights
While confidence in many institutions has been declining for decades, the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the breakdown in trust in health care and science. A new Hastings Center special report delivers a series of findings for public health officials, physicians, and scientists seeking to rebuild trust with patients the the public. Among the takeaways:
Those responsible for speaking with the public and with patients must develop more sophisticated ways to communicate. While competence is critical, it is not enough.
Regaining public trust requires health care providers and organizations to be trustworthy. Those seeking to build trust should be sure that they are considering their own behavior.
Trust decisions happen in “climates” – when conspiracy theories about public officials circulate, trust in experts will likely decline. When individual refusals to trust are rooted in climates of distrust, all members of society need to confront the root cause of the climate: the collapse of regular, honest, and cooperative behavior based on commonly shared norms.
The special report is the product of a collaboration between The Hastings Center and the American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation, with support from The Gil Omenn and Martha Darling Fund for Trusted and Trustworthy Scientific Innovation and by the ABIM Foundation. Read more.
Envisioning the Future of Bioethics Ravitsky on where we have been and where we are going
What might the future hold for bioethics if it continues its evolution to become a field that embraces systemic, collective-level challenges; has a global scale and focus; emphasizes human flourishing; and seeks to have increased societal impact? Hastings Center President Vardit Ravitsky explores this question in a new essay in the Hastings Center Report. As The Hastings Center considers strategic priorities for its research, public engagement, and impact, she offers an expansive and inclusive vision for the future of bioethics to invite an open and wide-ranging conversation about the future of our field and the role that The Hastings Center can and should play within it. Read the essay.
Only 8% of the millions of people with symptoms of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have received a diagnosis for this condition. MCI sometimes progresses to dementia. The recent approval of two medications that may slow dementia progression in its early stages has led to calls for increased screening for MCI in primary care settings and earlier referrals of people with MCI to specialty care. However, time constraints in primary care are significant. “It’s really challenging to ask a community health provider to do another thing, because they’re already doing everything,” says Nancy Berlinger, a senior research scholar at the Hastings Center, in an interview in Wired. “Because of the stigma surrounding dementia, primary care providers may just avoid the topic.” Berlinger directs two Hastings Center projects that explore ethical issues raised by dementia. Read the Wired article. (Subscription required.)
Looking Forward and Outward in These Critical Times Help advance our mission
Since 1969, The Hastings Center has been a leading voice in addressing emerging questions in bioethics, while inviting the broader public to help inform our work. Across these topics, new value conflicts and moral uncertainties continually arise with the emergence of novel technologies, increased focus on ethical issues related to population (in addition to individual) health, and political polarization confronting our society. Philanthropy supports about 45% of our efforts to respond to the most pressing ethical challenges confronting society today. As we consider how we should illuminate and help address these challenges, will you help advance our mission with a gift this year? Learn more and make a donation.
The Hastings Center seeks to ensure responsible health and science policy and practice. We work to secure the wisest possible use of emerging technologies and fair, compassionate, and just health care for people across their lifespan.
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