By Oni J. Blackstock, Dianne N. Addison, Jennifer S. Brennan, Oladipo A. Alao
Interpersonal trust is an essential component of the patient-provider relationship.1,2 The core elements of trust include competence, honesty, fidelity, and confidentiality.3,4 In particular, trust in one’s physician has been associated with patient satisfaction,5–7 acceptance of providers’ recommendations,7 medication adherence,5,6 and continuity of care.6,8 Increasingly, the effect of interpersonal trust on health behaviors has been studied in the context of racial disparities in health outcomes.9–11 Studies suggest that African Americans may have lower rates of trust in their health care providers than non-Hispanic Whites,12–15 potentially leading to decreased continuity of care, decreased acceptance … Read More