Factors influencing mutual trust in interprofessional partnerships within primary care settings: a systematic review

Trust between healthcare providers is important in facilitating collaborative practices, especially in primary care, where disciplines collaborate across communities to deliver patient-centred care.

To identify the facilitators and barriers that influence trust in interprofessional partnerships within primary care settings.

We searched PubMed, PsycInfo, Embase, and CINAHL using key words to identify articles published up to 16 August 2023. Facilitators and barriers to trust were mapped onto the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). Quality assessment utilized the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).

From 5750 screened articles, 11 studies were included. Sixteen facilitators and seven barriers were identified. Facilitators included co-location, familiarity, competence, professional identities, and effective communication. Barriers included perceived conflicts of interest, lack of familiarity, and transgressions of professional boundaries. Trust was often unbalanced, with a perception among non-medical healthcare professionals that they need to earn trust from medical healthcare professionals.

Formation and nurturing of interprofessional trust is the foundation for building strong partnerships between healthcare professionals that promote collaborative practice in primary care. Future research should include non-English and grey literature and focus on the unequal trust dynamics.