Healthcare in Trouble
Can a Values-Driven Approach Cure the Confidence Crisis?
By
Colleen Howell, Research Director.
From medical schools to pharmaceutical giants to the CDC, it’s no surprise that trust in the U.S. healthcare system has hit an all-time low. Americans are increasingly questioning the very institutions designed to protect their health. But could a deeper understanding of consumer values hold the key to restoring confidence?
In behavioral science, values are seen as a primary motivator of decision making, which means understanding their role in healthcare decisions is critical to strategically addressing the confidence gap. Leveraging our proprietary values segmentation and patented AI modeling, Aletheia Marketing and Media’s AMMHealth fielded a nationally representative study of 2,662 US adults and uncovered how core personal values—Achievement, Pleasure, Freedom, Purpose, Tradition, and Security— influence healthcare behaviors, preferences, and attitudes.
For example, the research showed that Tradition ValuesTypes were the most likely to have confidence in their primary doctors, reflecting their respect for authority, loyalty, and preference for conventional medicine. Conversely, Freedom ValuesTypes—who resist centralized control and often see mainstream processes and bureaucracy as restrictive to personal agency—expressed the lowest confidence in primary doctors and healthcare institutions overall. Confidence in local hospitals and urgent care centers was highest among Achievement ValuesTypes, who likely associate these facilities with expertise, efficiency, and reliability. Meanwhile, Security ValuesTypes exhibited the second-lowest confidence in these institutions, driven by their risk-averse mindset and concerns about medical system reliability. These stark psychographic contrasts highlight the need for tailored communication strategies in healthcare. A values-driven approach is not only essential for fostering trust and meaningful engagement but also critical for fueling success in healthcare marketing.
The crisis of confidence in healthcare isn’t just a perception problem – it’s a public health emergency. Research shows that as trust declines, people delay care, forgo preventative screenings, and ultimately suffer worse health outcomes. The result? Higher healthcare costs, widening disparities, and heightened public health risks.
Healthcare organizations have a pivotal marketing opportunity to take bold action that simultaneously strengthens their brand, rebuilds patient trust, and creates meaningful and lasting benefits for the communities they serve.
Because consumer confidence is rooted in both perception and personal experience, efforts to boost it require addressing widespread issues of affordability, accessibility, and equity, while also focusing on strategic marketing and clear communication to counter misinformation and rewrite the false narratives that have eroded trust. To maximize the effectiveness of that messaging, it’s critical to know the who, what, and why behind the confidence crisis.
“Your” Doctors, Pharmacists, and Hospitals
Within the 2025 AMMHealth study, confidence was highest in individual professionals, especially when there was a personal connection implied in the wording. Confidence in “your pharmacist” (67%) and “your primary doctor” (59%) were higher compared to more general references like “doctors” (55%) or “nurses” (54%). Respondents who were prompted to think about relationships with known healthcare providers and had firsthand experience with their competencies were more likely to view them as reliable and trustworthy.
Confidence in local hospitals (54%) was higher than in local urgent care centers (47%). These mixed confidence ratings likely reflect variability in personal preferences and experiences, highlighting significant opportunities to improve perceptions of care quality for both types of facilities.
Although confidence in frontline care professionals was relatively high, it dropped significantly when evaluating medical schools’ ability to properly train those professionals (50%) and medical scientists’ ability to make valid and useful discoveries (48%). These lower levels of confidence may stem from concerns about transparency, reports of fraud and doctored data, conflicts of interest, or a growing skepticism toward science and research institutions more broadly.
Insurance, Government, and Big Pharma
Only 44% expressed confidence that their health insurance plan would cover current or future healthcare needs. When asked about significant barriers to accessing care, 30% cited high out-ofpocket costs, and 26% pointed to inadequate insurance coverage and/or difficulty finding providers who accept their insurance. These findings underscore costs and access as systemic issues plaguing the U.S. healthcare system, with much of the perceived responsibility falling on insurance providers.
44% said they were confident in the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to provide accurate information and guidance during public health emergencies, and just 39% were confident in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to effectively approve and regulate new medical treatments. These low confidence levels may reflect lingering skepticism from the COVID-19 pandemic, during which public health agencies faced criticism over mixed messaging and perceived mishandling of information. Low confidence in these agencies could hinder public compliance during future health emergencies. In fact, 48% of our sample said they would not submit to another lockdown if there were another pandemic.
When it came to pharmaceutical companies developing effective medications for ailments and diseases, 40% of respondents said they were confident. However, perceptions of pharmaceuticals themselves were notably more positive, suggesting a disconnect between trust in the companies and the products they produce. For instance, 81% agreed that generic medications are as effective as brand-name drugs, yet 40% admitted they still prefer brand-name options, even at a higher cost. Additionally, 42% believe newer drug brands work better than older ones, highlighting a bias toward innovation. A majority (71%) agreed that prescription drugs are generally more effective than over-the-counter remedies, reinforcing trust in pharmaceutical products over self-care options.
The lack of confidence in pharmaceutical companies is likely tied to perceptions of unfair pricing practices. Only 18% of respondents said they believed drug prices were fair, while 53% felt they were unfair. This dissatisfaction aligns with confidence levels, as many of the demographic and psychographic characteristics associated with higher confidence also influenced perceptions of fairness.
Can Values Cure the Confidence Crisis?
The themes suggest that while personal interactions with healthcare professionals remain a cornerstone of consumer confidence, broader institutions and technologies face significant credibility challenges.
Closing these trust gaps requires targeted efforts to enhance transparency, communication, and public perception. Further, confidence levels vary significantly by demographics and ValuesTypes, presenting opportunities for tailored strategies that promote trust and equity in healthcare delivery and communication. Identifying what, specifically, is eroding trust and for whom will be critical to crafting effective campaigns aimed at rebuilding public confidence.
Gain exclusive access to “The Current State of Confidence in Healthcare” our indepth report based on a national survey of 2662 US adults. We’re sharing hot takes and actionable insights to healthcare marketers seeking to bridge the trust gap with consumers and patients.
Source:
AMMHealth collected data in January 2025 from a nationally representative sample of 2662 US adults, who completed an online survey about their opinions, perceptions, and beliefs around the American healthcare system. Respondents were asked to rate their level of confidence on a 1 (No confidence) to 5 (A great deal of confidence) scale.