About Science, Health, and Public Trust

This section provides perspectives, tools, and resources to improve the quality and usefulness of information about science and health for the public. The overall goal is to share strategies and best practices that might contribute to public understanding of the nature of biomedical research and its role in health. Read more »

Perspectives

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    Illustration of online doctor giving advice.

    How to Evaluate Trustworthiness in Science

    June 12, 2024 — These days, anyone can write or talk about science and health topics, no matter how much or how little about the topic they actually know. Here are some questions we’ve put together to help you evaluate a source of information.

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    Dr. John C. Besley

    Communicating Trustworthiness and Fostering Trust

    April 3, 2024 — Health and science communicators can’t simply expect trust from their audiences. How can you convey why scientists or claims should be considered trustworthy? In this post, Dr. John C. Besley explores the dimensions of trustworthiness beliefs.

  • Communicating About Rare Diseases

    February 28, 2024 — More than 10,000 rare diseases affect nearly 30 million people nationwide. But communicating about rare diseases research can make a real difference beyond this community. NIH’s Dr. Joni L. Rutter discusses how to tell stories about rare disease...

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Tools

How to Evaluate Trustworthiness in Science

These days, anyone can write or talk about science and health topics, no matter how much or how little about the topic they actually know. Here are some questions we’ve put together to help you evaluate a source of information.

A Checklist for Communicating Science and Health Research to the Public

As science and health communicators, our main goal is to share our institutions’ wealth of science and health knowledge.

The Challenges of Understanding and Communicating Health Risks

Health communicators of all kinds often find themselves talking and writing about risks.

Understanding Clinical Studies

Part of the challenge of explaining clinical research to the public is describing the important points of a study.

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Resources

NIH PIO Network
The NIH Public Information Officers Network is designed to link communications professionals together to deliver the best available scientific, medical, and health information to the public.

Clear Communication
This initiative focuses on using plain language approaches and new technologies to provide information that is accessible to specific audiences based on cultural respect.

Know the Science
Why is it important to know the science of health? Simply put, because there is a lot of misinformation out there—from anecdotes disguised as evidence to excessive claims made by supplement manufacturers to TV doctors touting the latest “miracle cure.”

ORWH Sex and Gender Infographic
Sex and gender can influence health in important ways. While sex and gender are distinct concepts, their influence is often inextricably linked.

HealthNewsReview.org Toolkit
A collection of tipsheets, primers, links and other resources to help journalists and consumers evaluate claims about health care interventions.

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