Managing Patient Trust in Managed Care

Patient trust has been identified as an important element in the patient-physician relationship. However, common features of managed care, such as risk-sharing, utilization review, and limitations on benefits, may erode the traditionally high trust that patients have in their physicians. High trust is not always justified; rather, an optimal level of trust: arises from the level of interdependence between patients and physicians. This analysis of the interrelationship between patient-physician trust and some of the key facets of managed care has important implications for managed care. A return to high levels of trust may be impracticable, and new strategies for balancing trust-building efforts by caregivers with checking mechanisms accessible to patients are recommended.

Author(s): Huw T.O. Davies; Thomas G. Rundall

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Volume 78, Issue 4 (pages 609–624)
DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.00187
Published in 2000