# Admitting past mistakes would build trust in public health

Canonical page: https://data.verasight.io/health/admitting-past-mistakes-would-build-trust-in-public-health/

> Indexed question in Health.

## Reading

About a third of Americans (35%) say the public health field could best build greater trust by publicly acknowledging its past missteps and changing practices based on what it learns, according to a November 2025 Verasight survey.

Another 23% point to building community partnerships that emphasize learning, and 15% say they don't know. Smaller shares name training in transparent and empathetic communication (13%), changing organizational incentives to reward transparency (8%), and leadership modeling openness and self-reflection (7%).

## Topline

What would most help the public health field build greater trust?

Admitting past mistakes would build trust in public health.

- Publicly acknowledge and change practices based on learnings from past missteps: 34.7%
- Building community partnership that emphasize learning: 22.7%
- I don't know: 15.3%
- Training in transparent and empathetic communication: 12.9%
- Changing organizational incentives to reward transparency: 7.6%
- Leadership modeling openness and self-reflection: 6.7%

## Methodology

- Mode: Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
- Population: US adults age 18+
- Field dates: 2025-11-14 → 2025-11-20
- Base (unweighted): 1,000
- Margin of error: +/- 3.2%
- Module: Module 2
- Sponsor: Verasight
- Weight variable: weight
- Weighting targets: age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status

## Source

- Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025#building-trust-in-public-health](https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025#building-trust-in-public-health)

## Citation

Verasight APHA Omnibus Survey #2025-148, fielded November 14-20, 2025, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.

Canonical question URL: [https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025#building-trust-in-public-health](https://reports.verasight.io/r/verasight-apha-2025#building-trust-in-public-health)