By: Silke Schoch, Manager, Research & Programs

The National Health Council hosted our annual Science of Patient Engagement Symposium virtually on October 13-14, 2021, where over 120 medical, scientific, and research leaders shared their experiences, accomplishments, best practices, and resulting impacts on medicine and science. The theme for this year’s meeting was, Achieving Trust in and Trustworthiness of Science, and explored how mistrust in public health institutions and misinformation has flourished in recent years. The Symposium delved into topics such as:

• Building Trust in Patient-Led Research
• Amplifying Trusted Voices on Social-Media
• Accelerating Trust in Clinical Research: Turning Experiences into Action
• Tackling the Infodemic: Our Mission-Essential Role in Overcoming Falsehood and Building Trust
• The Role of Media in Promoting Trust in Science
• Accelerating Trust in Public Institutions
• Meeting People Where They Are: Creative Ways to Engage People to Build and Overcome Loss of Trust

Throughout the Symposium key themes emerged around how the patient and research community can create and build back trust in science. Recommendations include finding trusted local sources to amplify your message, making sure public health initiatives and research are transparent, and ensuring patient participants are active partners in research. Check back later this week to read more about the meeting in our upcoming Science of Patient Engagement Symposium Summary.