Most of the existing literature on trust between patients and clinicians focuses on whether patients trust their care team – but what happens when clinicians don’t trust patients? Diminished relationships, less-than-ideal care, and professional burnout are just a few implications of these scenarios. And although there are differential power dynamics, the nature of trust in the patient-clinician relationship is reciprocal. Each version of trust informs the other, and both are necessary for a successful partnership.
In May, the ABIM Foundation hosted a conversation with Rachel Grob, MA, PhD, and Tara Montgomery explored different facets of the patient-clinician relationship and possible approaches to build trust to improve quality and safety of care, patient health outcomes, and the overall patient experience. The video of the conversation is available here.