Degree and correlates of patient trust in their cardiologist

• Published in: Journal of evaluation in clinical practice 2009-08, Vol.15 (4), p.634-640
• Main Authors: Kayaniyil, Sheena, Gravely-Witte, Shannon, Stewart, Donna E., Higginson, Lyall, Suskin, Neville, Alter, David, Grace, Sherry L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; cardiologists; Cardiology; Coronary Artery Disease; Female; health care; Health Care Surveys; heart disease; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ontario; patient trust; Physician-Patient Relations; Trust
• ISSN: 1356-1294; 1365-2753
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2753.2008.01064.x

Rationale and objectives  Trust in one's doctor has been associated with increased treatment adherence, patient satisfaction and improved health status. This study investigated the level and correlates of patient trust in their cardiac specialist. Methods  All 386 urban cardiologists in Southern Ontario (95 participating, response rate = 30%) were approached to recruit a sample of their coronary artery disease outpatients. A total of 1111 recent and consecutive patients consented to participate (approximately 13 patients per cardiologist, 317 female (26.7%); response rate = 60%), and clinical data were extracted from their medical charts. Participants completed a mailed survey including the Trust in Physicians scale, in addition to an assessment of socio‐demographic, clinical and psychosocial correlates. Results  The mean trust score was equivalent to that reported in studies of primary care patients. Results of the significant multivariate model (F = 7.631, P