Kansas Health Institute Proposes 2-Part System to Measure Public Health Trust Across 50 States
Updated
Updated · khi.org · Jun 30
Kansas Health Institute Proposes 2-Part System to Measure Public Health Trust Across 50 States
1 articles · Updated · khi.org · Jun 30
Summary
KHI said public health agencies can start measuring trust by pairing BRFSS for consistent baseline tracking with community health assessments to diagnose why trust rises or erodes locally.
More than 400,000 BRFSS interviews a year across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and three territories make the survey a scalable platform for local estimates, though KHI said state-added questions are the most immediate route.
Nine existing instruments reviewed by KHI show trust is usually measured by agency-specific questions and can be broken into competence, benevolence, integrity and predictability rather than a single overall score.
Predictability was nearly absent and benevolence only partly covered in those tools, gaps KHI said matter because inconsistent messaging was a common driver of trust loss during the pandemic.
The proposal is part 1 of KHI's broader effort to help local health departments turn their post-pandemic trust advantage into a practical lever for rebuilding public confidence.
Why is trust in local health departments rising while faith in the broader healthcare system plummets?
If trust is built on relationships, can a system of surveys and metrics truly help or will it backfire?
How can health leaders compete with AI and influencers to guide the public's health decisions?
Measuring Public Health Trust: KHI’s Two-Part System and the Path to National Standardization
Overview
The Kansas Health Institute (KHI) has proposed a two-part system to measure public health trust across all 50 states, responding to a marked decline in confidence in federal health institutions after the COVID-19 pandemic. While federal trust dropped due to concerns about political influence and inconsistent recommendations, local health departments saw trust rise, thanks to their strong community relationships and direct services. KHI’s system aims to systematically capture these trends, helping public health agencies understand what builds or erodes trust and enabling them to foster stronger, more effective connections with the communities they serve.