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Medical Mistrust Among Black Patients with Serious Illness: A Mixed Methods Study
Kristine L Cueva1, Arisa R Marshall2, Cyndy R Snyder3
1Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, USA. cueva.kristine@gmail.com.
Background:
Medical mistrust among Black patients has been used to explain the existence of well-documented racial inequities at the end of life that negatively impact this group. However, there are few studies that describe patient perspectives around the impact of racism and discriminatory experiences on mistrust within the context of serious illness.
Objective:
To better characterize experiences of racism and discrimination among patients with serious illness and its association with medical mistrust.
Participants:
Seventy-two Black participants with serious illness hospitalized at an academic county hospital.
Approach:
This is a convergent mixed methods study using data from participant-completed surveys and existing semi-structured interviews eliciting participants' perspectives around their experiences with medical racism, communication, and decision-making.
Main Measures:
The experience of medical racism and its association with Group-Based Medical Mistrust (GBMM) scale scores, a validated measure of medical mistrust.
Key Results:
Of the 72 Black participants, 35% participated in interviews. Participants were mostly men who had significant socioeconomic disadvantage, including low levels of wealth, income, and educational attainment. There were reported high levels of race-based mistrust in the overall GBMM scale score (mean [SD], 36.6 [9.9]), as well as high scores within the suspicion (14.2 [5.0]), group disparities in healthcare (9.9 [2.8]), and lack of support (9.1 [2.7]) subscales. Three qualitative themes aligned with the GBMM subscales. Participants expressed skepticism of healthcare workers (HCWs) and modern medicine, recounted personal experiences of discrimination in the medical setting, and were frustrated with poor communication from HCWs.
Conclusions:
This study found high levels of mistrust among Black patients with serious illness. Suspicion of HCWs, disparities in healthcare by race, and a lack of support from HCWs were overarching themes that influenced medical mistrust. Critical, race-conscious approaches are needed to create strategies and frameworks to improve the trustworthiness of healthcare institutions and workers.
Insights
Black patients with serious illness report high medical mistrust due to racism and discrimination. Addressing suspicion, disparities, and poor communication is crucial for building trust in healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Health Equity
- Racial Justice in Healthcare
Background:
- Racial inequities in end-of-life care disproportionately affect Black patients.
- Medical mistrust among Black patients is often cited but patient perspectives on racism's impact are understudied.
- Understanding patient experiences is vital for addressing healthcare disparities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize racism and discrimination experiences in Black patients with serious illness.
- To examine the association between these experiences and medical mistrust.
- To inform strategies for improving healthcare trustworthiness.
Main Methods:
- Convergent mixed-methods study with 72 Black patients hospitalized with serious illness.
- Data collected via surveys (Group-Based Medical Mistrust scale) and semi-structured interviews.
- Explored experiences of medical racism, communication, and decision-making.
Main Results:
- High levels of race-based medical mistrust were reported (GBMM scale mean 36.6).
- Key themes included suspicion of healthcare workers, personal experiences of discrimination, and frustration with communication.
- Qualitative findings aligned with quantitative mistrust subscales (suspicion, group disparities, lack of support).
Conclusions:
- Black patients with serious illness exhibit significant medical mistrust.
- Mistrust is influenced by suspicion of healthcare workers, perceived racial disparities, and inadequate support.
- Race-conscious strategies are essential to enhance healthcare institution and worker trustworthiness.
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