The Internet's Effect on Parental Trust in Pediatrician Diagnosis of Autism and Likelihood of Seeking a Second Opinion.
Online search results that clash with the doctor’s autism verdict quickly erode parent trust.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Pham et al. (2019) ran a randomized trial with parents. Half saw web pages that disagreed with the doctor’s autism verdict. Half saw pages that agreed.
The team then asked, 'Do you trust the doctor? Will you seek a second opinion?'
What they found
Parents who read conflicting online info trusted the doctor less. They were also more likely to say they would look for another opinion.
Parents who read agreeing info stayed confident in the doctor.
How this fits with other research
Schreck et al. (2016) showed TV also pushes fad diets over ABA. Tammy’s team now shows the Internet can do the same to a fresh diagnosis.
Legg et al. (2019) found UK parents already feel lost after diagnosis. Add online doubt and trust drops even faster.
Fleury et al. (2019) proved that simply calling a treatment 'evidence-based' lifts parent buy-in. Tammy’s study flips the coin: online noise can erase that buy-in for the diagnosis itself.
Why it matters
You can’t assume families arrive trusting the label. Before you plan therapy, ask what they Googled. Show one clear, evidence-based page that matches the doctor’s words. This small step keeps parents on board and saves weeks of second-guessing.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study assessed how web-based information affects parental trust in physician's diagnosis of autism (PDA) and likelihood of seeking a second opinion. Participants of an online survey were randomly allocated to one of three hypothetical scenarios, all were given a vignette of a non-verbal 18-month-old child followed by (1) not viewing Internet results, (2) viewing results suggesting autism, or (3) viewing results suggesting language delay and rated their trust and likelihood of seeking a second opinion. When Internet results contradicted PDA, parents reported less trust in PDA and greater likelihood of seeking a second opinion. Due to the Internet's influence on parents' response to PDA, clinicians should discuss their differential diagnosis with parents, address Internet-related concerns, and recommend trustworthy sources.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2019 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04140-8