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Degree and correlates of patient trust in their cardiologist
Sheena Kayaniyil1, Shannon Gravely-Witte, Donna E Stewart
1Department of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Toronto, Canada.
Insights
Patient trust in their cardiac specialist is linked to factors like education and perceived control over their heart condition. Lower education and higher blood pressure correlated with greater trust in cardiologist care.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Health Services Research
- Patient-Physician Relationship
Background:
- Patient trust in physicians is crucial for treatment adherence, satisfaction, and health outcomes.
- Understanding trust in cardiac specialists is essential for improving cardiovascular care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the level of patient trust in their cardiac specialist.
- To identify correlates of patient trust in cardiologist care.
Main Methods:
- Survey of 1111 outpatients with coronary artery disease across Southern Ontario.
- Utilized the Trust in Physicians scale and assessed socio-demographic, clinical, and psychosocial factors.
- Clinical data extracted from patient medical charts.
Main Results:
- Mean trust scores were comparable to those found in primary care settings.
- Lower educational attainment was significantly associated with higher trust.
- Higher systolic blood pressure, less perceived illness unpredictability, and greater perceived personal control correlated with increased trust.
Conclusions:
- Educational attainment is a significant correlate of trust, potentially linked to satisfaction disparities.
- The association between hypertension and trust may indicate factors beyond perceived physician competence.
- Further research is needed to explore trust correlates and its impact on cardiac health outcomes.
Rationale And Objectives:
Trust in one's doctor has been associated with increased treatment adherence, patient satisfaction and improved health status. This study investigated the level and correlates of patient trust in their cardiac specialist.
Methods:
All 386 urban cardiologists in Southern Ontario (95 participating, response rate = 30%) were approached to recruit a sample of their coronary artery disease outpatients. A total of 1111 recent and consecutive patients consented to participate (approximately 13 patients per cardiologist, 317 female (26.7%); response rate = 60%), and clinical data were extracted from their medical charts. Participants completed a mailed survey including the Trust in Physicians scale, in addition to an assessment of socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial correlates.
Results:
The mean trust score was equivalent to that reported in studies of primary care patients. Results of the significant multivariate model (F = 7.631, P < 0.001) revealed that less education (P < 0.001), higher systolic blood pressure (P = 0.022), less perceived cyclical/unpredictable illness timeline (P = 0.007) and greater perceived personal control over their heart condition (P = 0.004), were significant correlates of greater trust in cardiologist care.
Conclusions:
The significance of education is corroborated by findings of lower satisfaction with cardiac care among those of higher socio-economic status, despite having generally greater access to care in Ontario. Moreover, the relationship between hypertension and greater trust may suggest that such perceptions are not based on doctor competence. Future studies should further investigate the correlates of trust, as well as the impact of trust on cardiac health outcomes.
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