Public Dialogue Medical Misinformation
Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Primary School De Olijfboom
On June 4, Van Hier Naar [...], The New Utrecht School, and the Journal of Trial and Error jointly organized a report presentation and dialogue on medical misinformation.
After a delightful dinner, the research report “Uprooting Medical Misinformation: Listening to Concerns and Cultivating Grounded Trust” was presented to the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport by co-author Marcel Hobma.
Subsequently, members of Stichting Sleutelpersonen Utrecht spoke about how key community figures can help counter misinformation, followed by a discussion among healthcare professionals. We then explored, “around the table,” the power of listening, collaboration, and building trust both in the consultation room and beyond. How can healthcare professionals and communities work together to create fair and accessible information? And what can we learn from the mistakes and insights of the COVID-19 pandemic?
Speakers:
- Marcel Hobma is a science and investigative journalist and researcher at The New Utrecht School. He is the lead author of the report “Uprooting Medical Misinformation.”
- Prof. dr. Marc Bonten is Professor of Medical Microbiology and Vice Dean at UMC Utrecht. He spoke in part about his experiences during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Putri Hintaran and Mamoun Loukili are board members of Stichting Sleutelpersonen Utrecht, an organization that contributes to solving broad societal challenges through the deployment of community “key figures.”
- Dr. Robert Prettner is an Assistant Professor at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and has conducted research, among other work in his PhD, on communication between healthcare professionals and parents who are hesitant about childhood vaccinations.