The US healthcare system facilitates medical conspiracy theories: A call to action

Abstract

Medical conspiracy theories pose a public health risk and erode trust in healthcare providers. While research continues on the psychological, social, and evolutionary foundations of conspiratorial thinking, as well as on intervention strategies, less attention has been given to the role of healthcare system structures. This paper examines how the design and delivery of the U.S. healthcare system contribute to the spread of medical conspiracy theories. Using a two-pronged analytical framework, we (1) identify key features of the U.S. healthcare system and patient experience and (2) map these features onto known psychological and social drivers of conspiratorial beliefs. We argue that addressing medical conspiracy theories requires not only individual or community-level interventions but also structural reforms in healthcare. Researchers should therefore explore the feasibility and impact of systematic changes in mitigating conspiratorial thinking.