Establishing Trust

Why the Distrust?  

 

    In the healthcare setting, establishing a sense of trust between the patient and the healthcare provider is paramount to successful treatment. Therefore, it is important understand the reasons behind distrust in the American healthcare system. One of the main reasons is the high cost of U.S. healthcare. These financial struggles, often stemming from difficulties with insurance coverage, can damage the relationship between healthcare providers and patients. Another reason many patients cannot build trust with their provider is that there is somewhat limited time for discussion. This leads to feelings of inadequacy and not being listened to fully. An issue more unique to current times is the easy access to vast amounts of information. With such easy access to contradicting sources on the internet, people are more inclined to not blindly believe their healthcare providers. A historical cause of trust issues is discrimination toward racial and ethnic minorities, contributing to a lack of representation in the healthcare scene. A well-known example of this is the Tuskegee Experiment in which African American men were prevented from receiving syphilis treatment without proper informed consent in order to study the disease. Also, a general lack of cultural competency and training in this area can lead to frustration and misunderstandings. 

Ways to Promote Trust

    A major solution for these trust issues is the presence of culturally competent providers. 2021 research shows that patients want providers who look like them, talk like them, and have shared experiences (Read et al.,2021). Other ways to increase patient trust include not overusing jargon, involving them in the decision-making process by encouraging questions, 

Sources:

Building Trust in Healthcare: A Vital Ingredient for Quality Care. MedXCom. (n.d.). https://medx.com/building-trust-in-healthcare/

Read, L., Korenda, L., & Nelson, H. (2021, August 5). Rebuilding trust in health care. Deloitte Insights. https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/trust-in-health-care-system.html

Rose, P. R. (2013). Cultural competency for the Health Professional. Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Solving the Crisis of Patient Distrust. HealthTeamWorks. (n.d.). https://www.healthteamworks.org/news/solving-crisis-patient-distrust