A new study published in the Annals of Behavioural Medicine finds that nearly 1 in 3 participants avoided or were likely to avoid medical information, as the new study emphasises the impact of mistrust in the medical system.
The research, based on a dataset of more than half a million people across 25 countries, found that the highest likelihood of information avoidance was seen in individuals being treated for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease (41% and 40% respectively).
Medical information avoidance was ranked highest in patients with these conditions, highlighted as incurable neurodegenerative diseases, with moderate avoidance seen for severe but treatable conditions (HIV: 32%, cancer: 29%), and the lowest levels with a chronic, manageable illness such as diabetes (24%).
Patients that ignore or avoid information about their health may put off treatment or additional support that can go some way to aiding their experiences with symptoms. Confidence in the practitioner is a fundamental aspect of the clinician-patient relationship, yet mistrust was cited as a primary reason for information avoidance.
Other predictors included information overload, perceived stigma around a condition and self-efficacy. Sociodemographic factors – such as gender or race and ethnicity – were not found to be successful predictors.
Medical information avoidance has been studied in a range of situations and demographics previously. One 2024 study, published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, found that members of Generation Z (born in the mid-to-late 1990s to the early 2010s) could choose to keep information at an arm’s length to minimise stress, though there is also an inverted U-shaped relationship between risk perception and information avoidance behaviour.
Survey data published in 2024 by the NHS found that the health service was the most trusted type of organisation out of those included within the survey. It led with the trust of 72% of people, closely trailed by universities and research institutions.
The organisations with the lowest levels of trust were technology and social media companies, and the news media.
With a better understanding of patient behaviours in response to their health condition, clinicians should ensure individuals receive the best support possible. People could then also engage in their care in a way that not only maximises the potential for successful outcomes, but also keeps a feeling of control through a stressful period of their life.
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