The Patient Who Questions You Is Still Trusting You (Feat: Dr. Brian Southwell)

Medical misinformation can be frustrating for clinicians. But what if a patient bringing questionable information into the exam room is actually a sign that something is going right?In this episode of Val-You Based Care, Dr. Kimberly Ku sits down with communication scientist Dr. Brian Southwell for a thoughtful conversation about misinformation, trust, empathy, and the increasingly complicated information environment surrounding healthcare.Together, they explore why correcting the facts isn't always the best place to start, why patients who ask difficult questions may actually be demonstrating trust, and how curiosity can help physicians better understand what sits underneath a patient's beliefs.The conversation moves beyond misinformation into something much bigger: what it means to build trust in medicine. Dr. Ku and Dr. Southwell discuss body language, listening, silence, humility, social media, clinician burnout, the limits of expertise, and why empathy does not require agreement.They also explore the role physicians and healthcare organizations can play as trusted sources of information in an era when algorithms and AI can provide seemingly authoritative answers in seconds.Because sometimes the most important thing a physician can do isn't immediately correct the patient.It's understand why they're asking the question.Chapters:00:00 – Welcome & Meet Dr. Brian Southwell01:52 – When Misinformation Is Actually a Sign of Trust05:00 – Why More Evidence Isn't Always the Answer08:30 – Empathy, Body Language & Staying Open11:16 – What Actually Makes Someone Trustworthy?14:05 – Empathy Doesn't Mean Agreement16:15 – Why Doctors Need Better Communication Training19:45 – Listening Before Trying to Correct22:50 – The Power of Silence in Difficult Conversations26:39 – Bringing Science Closer to Everyday People29:28 – Transparency, Uncertainty & Building Trust33:15 – Giving Patients Grace to Ask Questions37:56 – Patients Are Experts in Their Own Experience40:28 – How Physicians Should Approach Social Media44:30 – Finding Credible Information in an Algorithmic World48:03 – Healthcare Organizations as Trusted Information Sources50:30 – Why People Still Trust Their Own Doctors52:59 – AI, Human Judgment & Keeping Humans in the Loop56:30 – Final Thoughts