Measuring physicians' trust: A scoping review with implications for public policy

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Medical Sociology
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Physicians increasingly collaborate with diverse stakeholders to enhance patient and system outcomes.
• Understanding physician trust is essential for effective healthcare delivery.
• Existing literature provides a limited view of physicians' trust dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of the literature on physicians' trust.
• To identify key themes, dimensions, and measures of physician trust.
• To highlight opportunities for future research and development in physician trust.

Main Methods:

• Systematic searches of major academic databases (Ovid/Medline, Pubmed, Scopus, etc.).
• Inclusion of peer-reviewed, English-language research articles.
• Analysis of 446 relevant articles focusing on physician trust.

Main Results:

• The majority of studies (81.2%) examined patient trust in physicians, not vice versa.
• Rigorous investigations into physicians' trust are rare, narrowly focused, and imprecise.
• Validated quantitative measures and studies on trust's effects are notably scarce.

Conclusions:

• Current research inadequately addresses the multifaceted nature of physician trust.
• There is a significant need for robust studies using validated measures, especially concerning trust in institutions.
• Enhanced understanding of physician trust can inform health system leaders and policymakers to improve healthcare efficiency and effectiveness.