For the agencies and providers working to recover on medical balances, patient trust in the healthcare system is a quiet but real input. A new survey suggests that trust is under growing strain.
The report, “Online Influence and the Next Frontier of Medical Misinformation,” from the clinician-insights firm Inlightened, found that roughly 6 in 10 healthcare professionals are deeply concerned about health misinformation circulating online, and about three-quarters expect the problem to worsen over the next year.
The fallout is already visible in exam rooms. Some 88% of respondents said patients routinely arrive with information pulled from social media, and most rated that information as only occasionally helpful. Experts tied the spread of bad information to the acceptance of harmful or unproven treatments (80%), declining trust in science-backed therapies (79%), and eroding trust in experienced medical professionals (71%). Nearly two-thirds (63%) said it leads to delayed or missed care.
That last point carries weight for the credit and collection industry. Care that is delayed or skipped often returns later as more acute and more expensive treatment, which can translate into larger and more frequently disputed balances downstream. Eroding trust in providers can also bleed into the billing relationship, making patients more skeptical of the charges they are asked to pay.
The survey also captured how the problem is reshaping clinician behavior. A majority reported eroding trust in evidence-based recommendations, and 41% said they worry about physical harm linked to online misinformation. Most experts believe professionals should push back, but only 55% have actually shared health information on social media. Among those who stay quiet, 45% said the rewards do not outweigh the risk and 33% cited personal safety concerns.
Artificial intelligence emerged as a growing flashpoint. About a third of respondents said AI is eroding trust by obscuring how decisions are made, and a similar share said AI tools are surfacing false or inaccurate information in searches.
Asked what would rebuild trust, respondents pointed to more vetted medical voices on platforms such as TikTok and YouTube (71%), broader access to evidence-based information (69%), and visible support from senior officials (59%).
