Patient Characteristics Associated with and Changes Over Time in Trust in Inpatient Physicians

Excerpt

Physicians have been considered one of the most trusted professions in the USA. However, recent reports suggest that trust in the medical profession has eroded.^{1, 2} One potential contributor to declining trust is the breakdown of the doctor-patient relationship resulting from discontinuity of inpatient care,^{3, 4} where patients do not see their primary care doctor when hospitalized. Additionally, patients from underrepresented groups are less likely to trust the medical profession due to a legacy of racism and bias⁵ that has resulted in recognized disparities in care. However, whether these factors affect patients’ trust in their inpatient physician is not well described. The aim of this study was to test whether certain patient demographic or clinical factors are associated with patients’ trust in their inpatient physician and examine changes in patient trust in their inpatient physician over time. …