Australia’s comparatively strong trust in health and medical science is under growing pressure, with real consequences for public health, research and the health system – this report warns. The evidence brief examines what Australians say about their trust in health and medical science. It looks at what their behaviours – including vaccination rates, participation in research and engagement with the health system – reveal about the state of that trust.

The evidence brief draws together existing survey data, published research and health system indicators to build a picture of where trust in health and medical science stands today. It highlights Australia’s declining vaccination coverage as an important warning sign.

The gap between what people say they trust and the choices they make matters. It shows that trust cannot be measured by attitudes alone. It must also be understood through behaviours, access to services, lived experience and the wider information environment in which health decisions are made.

The evidence brief highlights the critical role of trusted intermediaries such as general practitioners in helping people to navigate a complex information environment in which evidence-based health and medical advice must increasingly compete with mis- and dis-information surrounding topics ranging from the safety of sunscreen to the nature and causes of autism.