The Complex Interplay of Communication and Trust in Healthcare Delivery.
Melissa SimonSankirtana DannerSalma SaavedraFallon FlowersAlema JacksonJanell RossHiba AbbasElizabeth AdetoroAbbey EkongCassandra OseiNicolás FranconeJonathan AlhalelLisa MasinterDanielle LazarPublished in: Harvard public health review (Cambridge, Mass.) (2022)
Effective communication in clinician-patient relationships is an essential part of improving health outcomes. Ineffective communication in clinical settings leaves patients feeling undervalued and unheard. Breakdowns in communication can have particularly profound effects on minority or underserved populations, where health disparities already exist. Effective communication is critical for establishing trust, which allows individuals to feel they can share their concerns and questions. Distrust is a particularly important issue in maternal health, where current US rates of maternal mortality and morbidity are 3.1 times higher in Black and African American (AA) pregnant and birthing persons than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. To address the widespread issue of medical distrust and its connection with maternal health outcomes, the OPTIMIZE study is currently implementing an innovative intervention aimed at improving perinatal care for Black/AA pregnant persons. This intervention prompts clinician-patient conversations to enhance communication and repair trust, including a focus on patients' goals, concerns, social determinants of health, and safety. The implications of this intervention are broad, including the potential to improve trust and communication in other clinical specialties.
Keyphrases
- healthcare
- health information
- end stage renal disease
- african american
- public health
- randomized controlled trial
- mental health
- pregnant women
- chronic kidney disease
- ejection fraction
- newly diagnosed
- prognostic factors
- peritoneal dialysis
- birth weight
- pregnancy outcomes
- palliative care
- social media
- case report
- autism spectrum disorder
- patient reported outcomes
- climate change
- physical activity
- type diabetes
- pain management
- weight loss
- cardiovascular disease
- human health
- body mass index
- health insurance