Physician Perspectives on Building Trust with Patients

Area of Science:

• Medical Sociology
• Physician-Patient Relationship Studies
• Healthcare Communication

Background:

• Patient trust in physicians is well-documented.
• Physician perspectives on building patient trust are less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore physicians' views on the importance of earning patient trust.
• To identify strategies physicians use to build trust.
• To understand challenges physicians face in establishing trust.

Main Methods:

• Conducted twelve semistructured interviews in late 2022.
• Interview participants included eleven physicians and one patient-experience expert.

Main Results:

• Physicians consider patient trust crucial for effective practice, on par with medical expertise.
• Strategies include patient-centered interaction, expressing belief, sharing personal experiences, effective communication, compassion, and competence.
• Challenges include systemic distrust, time constraints, and patient bias, particularly for Black and Brown physicians.

Conclusions:

• Physician trust is fundamental to the therapeutic alliance.
• Systemic factors and bias significantly impede trust-building efforts.
• Further research should address these barriers to foster stronger physician-patient relationships.