Background
Adults with sickle cell disease often report poor interpersonal healthcare experiences, including poor communication with
providers. However, the effect of these experiences on patient trust is unknown.
Objective
To determine the association between patient ratings of the previous quality of provider communication and current trust in
the medical profession among adults with sickle cell disease.
Research design
Cross-sectional survey.
Participants
A total of 95 adults with sickle cell disease.
Measurements
The four-item Provider Communication Subscale from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Plans and Systems Survey; The five-item
Wake Forest Trust in the Medical Profession Scale.
Main results
Better ratings of previous provider communication were significantly associated with higher levels of trust toward the medical
profession. A 10% increase in provider communication rating was associated with a 3.76% increase in trust scores (p < 0.001, 95% CI [1.76%, 5.76%]), adjusting for patient-level demographic, clinical, and attitudinal characteristics.
Conclusions
Poorer patient ratings of provider communication are associated with lower trust toward the medical profession among adults
with sickle cell disease. Future research should examine the impact of low trust in the medical profession on clinical outcomes
in this population of patients.
KEY WORDS sickle cell disease - trust - quality of healthcare