June 9, 2021 – Healthcare professionals trust in the CDC and FDA has fallen dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey by WebMD / Medscape.
By nearly 2,000 US nurses who between the 25 FDA has lost weight. Similarly, of nearly 450 US doctors surveyed over the same period, 77% said their trust in the CDC had decreased and 48% said their trust in the FDA had decreased.
Health professionals were critical of the decisions made by these authorities during the pandemic, and some feared their work was being politicized.
“I don’t question, doubt, or disagree with the agencies’ missions,” one nurse wrote in a comment on the Medscape survey. “I doubt (within the last 2 years) the degree to which the leaders of these institutions are able to implement scientifically sound and public health recommendations and practices free of political influence and bias.”
6 / Due to the damage done by the previous administration, @CDCgov and @CDCDirector have been enabled to regain the trust of the public and the scientific community.
A basic tenant of trust is honest and transparent communication.
– Erin C. Sanders, MSN, WHNP-BC (Sie / Sie / Sie) (@ErinSandersNP) May 16, 2021
Fewer WebMD readers said their confidence in the agencies took a hit during the pandemic. Of nearly 2,200 US WebMD readers surveyed between May 26 and June 1, 44% said their trust in the CDC had decreased during the pandemic and 33% said their trust in the FDA have sunk.
Doctors and nurses reported relatively less trust in the CDC than WebMD readers. Among doctors, 31% said they trust the CDC in general, compared to 25% of nurses and 45% of WebMD readers. The FDA didn’t fare much better: 37% of doctors, 27% of nurses, and 41% of WebMD readers said they generally trust the FDA.
In addition to a lack of trust, many health professionals said they disagreed with the CDC and FDA’s actions on COVID-19. About half of doctors and nurses said they disagree with the FDA’s general decision-making process during the pandemic, compared with 36% of WebMD readers. Nearly 60% of doctors and 65% of nurses said they disagree with the CDC’s general guidelines on pandemics, while 39% of WebMD readers did.
Last month’s CDC guidelines that fully vaccinated people were not required to wear masks or social distancing are a prime example of healthcare professionals disagreeing with official guidelines.
“The CDC’s new masking guidelines focus on the communities with high vaccination rates and those who have been burdened with masking,” tweeted pediatrician Rhea Boyd, MD. “In communities where most people are still” waiting “or without access to a vaccine, masking is still vital for EVERYONE.”
“They upset every day when it comes to masks and which vaccine is safe,” one doctor commented on the CDC and FDA on the Medscape survey. “Unfortunately, I have the feeling that I can no longer trust them at all.”
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