Physicians' Trust in Relevant Institutions during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Binary Logistic Model

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Medical Sociology

Background:

• Limited research exists on healthcare professionals' perceptions of institutions during epidemics.
• Understanding physician trust is crucial for effective public health responses during pandemics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile physicians' confidence in raising public health issues with institutions during a pandemic.
• To identify factors influencing physicians' trust in institutional communication during health crises.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was administered to 1285 Romanian physicians.
• Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify predictive factors.

Main Results:

• Physicians feeling safe at work, adequately trained, and sharing values with colleagues were more likely to trust institutions.
• Enjoyment of work and perceived justification of financial incentives also correlated with higher trust.
• Key predictors included feeling safe, adequate training, shared values, work enjoyment, and financial incentive perception.

Conclusions:

• Physician trust in institutions during pandemics is influenced by workplace safety, training, collegial relationships, job satisfaction, and perceived rewards.
• Strengthening these factors may enhance physicians' willingness to engage with institutions on public health matters.
• Future interventions should consider these elements to foster better collaboration between physicians and health authorities.