Preventive healthcare not only saves lives but also reduces costs, improves quality of life, and eases the burden on healthcare systems globally. Despite its proven value, patients remain skeptical, with less than 8% of people in the United States receiving the preventive care recommended to them. To understand why, we turn to the Sermo community, where over 1 million verified doctors share real-world insights into the matter.
Polls and commentary from physicians across specialties reveal both the promise and frustration of preventive care. While doctors agree that prevention is central to improving population health, they also highlight barriers like misinformation, mistrust, and lifestyle resistance that slow adoption. Today, we explore why patients are hesitant to adopt preventative care and what physicians can do to increase adherence, reduce healthcare costs, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
Physician perspectives on preventive healthcare
When Sermo surveyed physicians about patient attitudes toward preventive medicine, the results painted a concerning picture. 43% of physicians believe the primary reason patients are skeptical of preventive care interventions is a “lack of perceived urgency or risk.” Another 18% pointed to the influence of misinformation and social media, while 19% suggested “fear of side effects or complications.”
“Despite the recognition of the importance of preventive measures, there are still patients who are reluctant to take them,” notes a family medicine physician on Sermo. For example, cardiovascular disease accounts for 32% of global deaths, and 80% of premature heart diseases and strokes are preventable with lifestyle changes. Despite this, primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events remains suboptimal according to this study.
While impactful, preventive care adds to physicians’ already crowded schedules. As part of the growing wellness revolution, more and more patients now use trackers, such as smartwatches, and follow online health coaches and trends to take charge of their health. A GP on Sermo reflects, “The wellness revolution has made patients more proactive about their health, which opens the door for meaningful conversations and personalized care.”
However, this medical empowerment sometimes leads to unrealistic expectations. Physicians report that patients often misunderstand wellness trends, leading to misinformation and misplaced trust in alternative treatments or advice.
Preventive care can significantly increase physicians’ workloads, creating additional pressure on already strained healthcare systems. Physicians already cite burnout from excessive paperwork. For example, one family medicine doctor on Sermo argues that wellness initiatives often result in more meetings and documentation, rather than real solutions.
“There are many tools that are potentially life-saving and/or life-extending. However, we are still behind in knowing how to communicate these preventative messages,” explains a psychiatry specialist, highlighting the communication gap that persists in preventive medicine. This reality forces physicians to balance comprehensive preventive care with practical time constraints and resource limitations.
Where patient skepticism is strongest
Our Sermo poll reveals patterns about where physicians encounter the most resistance. When asked which areas of preventive medicine face the most resistance, physicians identified:
- Lifestyle interventions (40%)
- Vaccinations (31%)
- Cancer screenings (12%)
- Cardiovascular risk management (10%)
It shows that patients are more likely to accept discrete, time-limited interventions like screenings than ongoing lifestyle modifications that require sustained behavioral change. “Lifestyle changes are next to impossible. Bad habits are long entrenched and become part of someone’s character,” observed a pathology specialist.
The vaccination challenge has intensified globally in recent years due to stagnating coverage, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, political debate, unfounded social media posts, and increased numbers of under-vaccinated children. In 2024, about 14.3 million children worldwide missed all their vaccines—an increase compared to pre-pandemic years. “So much misinformation in pediatrics and people think they know everything because they can Google search it, and AI just makes it worse,” noted a pediatric pulmonology specialist on Sermo.
“When an intervention requires a long-lasting effort that does not have an immediate outcome, it is difficult to achieve,” shared a family medicine physician, identifying the core challenge of preventive care, i.e., asking patients to invest effort today for benefits they may not see for years or even decades.
Physicians suggest that technology-driven solutions could break barriers where one-on-one advice falls short. The opportunity lies in leveraging peer support, digital reminders, and community outreach programs that make healthy habits more approachable.
Strategies physicians use to build trust
When asked about the most effective methods for building trust and improving adherence to preventive care recommendations, physicians emphasized personalized approaches. According to a Sermo poll, the most effective trust-building strategies are:
- Personalizing recommendations to patient history (34%)
- One-on-one education/discussion (32%)
- Motivational interviewing (11%)
- Sharing guidelines and evidence (10%)
These findings underscore the importance of individualized care in preventive medicine. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all approaches, successful physicians adapt their messaging and recommendations to each patient’s unique circumstances, health history, and concerns.
“We need to take the time to explain the benefits of the intervention in language patients understand,” emphasizes an internal medicine physician, highlighting the critical role of clear communication.
Behavior change strategies such as motivational interviewing techniques, cited by 11% of physicians, represent another effective approach. This patient-centered counseling style enables individuals to explore their own motivations for change, rather than being told what they should do.
“Patient’s trust in their physician or medical team is the first and most important parameter to overcome resistance and improve adherence,” notes a cardiologist, emphasizing that trust forms the foundation of all successful preventive care relationships.
Digital tools are also emerging as valuable supplements to traditional approaches. Physicians increasingly incorporate wearable devices, health apps, and online resources to support patient accountability between visits. However, the survey data suggest that these technological solutions work best when combined with strong physician-patient relationships, rather than as standalone interventions. As noted above, it is also vital not to over-rely on patient data or questions tracked by these tools, as this can become an added obstacle to the implementation of peer-reviewed treatments, protocols, and recommendations.
Evidence-sharing, while important, ranked lower at only 10% of responses, suggesting that raw data and statistics may be less persuasive than personalized discussions and relationship-building approaches. On average, less than one in three adults worldwide has adequate or proficient healthcare literacy, a substantial barrier to good health outcomes and effective use of medical services. Many patients feel overwhelmed or confused when presented with excessive medical information.
Innovations to improve adherence
Looking at solutions at the population level, physicians identify “seamless integration into routine visits” as the most promising approach. 27% of the surveyed physicians on Sermo support this strategy, which implies that preventive care works best when it becomes a natural, expected part of regular healthcare interactions rather than separate initiatives requiring additional appointments or effort.
Public awareness campaigns earn 22% support, while a stronger primary care infrastructure receives 20% of responses. Insurance coverage and incentives, despite their obvious importance, rank at 16%, suggesting physicians recognize that financial barriers alone don’t explain low adherence rates.
Other strategies to increase patient adherence include:
- Wearable devices for motivation: A family medicine physician on Sermo shares, “These devices empower patients to take control of their health and allow for continuous monitoring, leading to early interventions and better management of chronic diseases.” These smart health devices enable remote monitoring, early detection, and personalized care, helping patients and physicians stay proactive.
- Digital and influencer-driven outreach: “It is important to individualize the population in order to focus on prevention. However, I believe it is necessary to start embracing digitalization and invest in influencer marketing,” suggests a GP and anesthesiology specialist, pointing toward modern communication strategies that meet patients where they consume information.
- Community-based incentives: this tactic shows promise in certain demographics. Programs linking sports participation, workplace wellness initiatives, and insurance rewards create positive feedback loops that support sustained behavioral change. A recent comprehensive study in the NIH reviewed 31 examples of community engagement in public health globally and found that co-created community actions, often using Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), can reduce health disparities. Most actions engage citizens in agenda-setting, program design, implementation, and sometimes evaluation phases. Standard methods included workshops, group discussions, interviews, and observation.
Physicians agree that the future of preventive medicine will be shaped not only by individual recommendations, but also by cultural, community, and technological systems that make prevention the go-to choice, not the exception.
Innovation in preventive healthcare also relies on empathetic and adaptable leadership. By addressing barriers, encouraging collaboration, and prioritizing both teams and patients, leaders can drive consistent progress in prevention strategies.
Overcoming misinformation and mistrust
The rise of mass misinformation is a significant concern, with 18% of physicians citing its contribution to patient skepticism. Social media, AI content, and post-COVID political debate amplify skepticism around preventive measures, leaving physicians in search of ways to handle misinformation and mistrust.
“Distrust and misinformation are everywhere. People like to follow the path of least resistance,” observes a pediatric neurology specialist, highlighting how misinformation often provides patients with reasons to avoid preventive healthcare.
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified vaccine skepticism specifically. “After all the dishonesty from government and media around COVID, it will take a lot for patients to trust vaccines again,” notes an otolaryngology physician.
Physicians are developing sophisticated strategies to address misinformation while maintaining patient relationships. Empathy proves equally important, as dismissing patient concerns often strengthens rather than weakens the appeal of misinformation.
“One way to change the patient’s perspective is to provide evidence-based information,” suggests a neonatal & perinatal medicine specialist, though the survey data suggests this approach works best when combined with relationship-building and personalization.
Peer-to-peer education shows promise in certain contexts. “Vaccines in pregnancy are a topic of daily discussion in my practice. Training providers help to break barriers and inform patients of benefits and risks,” explains a family medicine physician, illustrating how healthcare team education can multiply impact.
The challenge requires long-term commitment to rebuilding trust through consistent, transparent communication rather than quick fixes.
Looking ahead – will patients become more receptive?
Physicians remain divided about future patient receptivity. Only 9% of surveyed physicians expressed being “very confident” that patients will become more receptive to preventive care over the next five years. The majority fell into “somewhat confident” (34%) or “neutral” (26%) categories, with 31% expressing pessimism about future improvement.
Some physicians see potential in public awareness campaigns and stronger primary care infrastructure. Others remain skeptical, pointing to entrenched mistrust and long-standing habits.
While physicians recognize potential positive trends (including improved health literacy among younger generations, better technology integration, and evolving healthcare delivery models), they also acknowledge persistent challenges around misinformation, health disparities, and systemic healthcare issues.
The neutral and pessimistic responses may reflect the physician’s experience with previous efforts to improve the adoption of preventive care. Despite decades of public health campaigns and technological advancements, core challenges related to patient motivation, lifestyle modification, and trust remain largely unchanged.
Key takeaways
Preventive care stands as one of medicine’s most valuable tools, yet physician insights reveal persistent gaps between evidence and implementation. Patient skepticism, driven by lack of perceived urgency, misinformation, and difficult lifestyle challenges, continues to undermine even the most well-intentioned preventive healthcare strategies.
The path forward requires multi-faceted approaches that prioritize trust-building through personalization and one-on-one education while addressing systemic barriers through improved insurance coverage, stronger primary care infrastructure, and innovative community-based interventions.
Success in preventive medicine increasingly requires physicians to function as educators, motivators, and trusted advisors rather than simply medical experts. This evolution demands new skills, additional time, and systemic support, but the potential payoff in improved population health outcomes makes this investment essential.
At the same time, larger reforms are needed: tackling misinformation, strengthening primary care relationships, and aligning incentives to support prevention at scale. For now, physicians remain cautiously optimistic. The tools and systems exist, but patients must first be convinced of their effectiveness and be persuaded to make lasting evidence-based changes.
People also ask
Preventive healthcare encompasses medical interventions designed to prevent disease or detect it in early, treatable stages before symptoms develop. From a physician’s perspective, it includes vaccinations, regular screenings, lifestyle counseling, and risk factor management. “The goal is catching problems before they become serious, but that requires patients to act on future risks they can’t see today,” explains a practicing physician.
Physicians consistently emphasize that preventive healthcare reduces long-term disease burden, improves patient outcomes, and can lower overall healthcare costs. Early intervention prevents complications, reduces the need for expensive treatments, and maintains quality of life.
Common preventive healthcare interventions include vaccinations, cancer screenings, cardiovascular risk assessments, lifestyle interventions for diet and exercise, blood pressure monitoring, cholesterol management, and early diabetes screening.
Major challenges include patient mistrust and skepticism, lifestyle modification barriers, misinformation influence, cost and access issues, lack of perceived urgency for asymptomatic patients, and time constraints in clinical settings. Physicians note that even with evidence in hand, persuading patients to change habits remains one of the toughest tasks in medicine.
