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.
Davies
H T
HT
Department of Management, University of St Andrews, St Katharine's West, The Scores, St Andrews Fife KY16 9AL, United Kingdom. hd@st-and.ac.uk
Rundall
T G
TG
D003219:Confidentiality; D006801:Humans; D008329:Managed Care Programs; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D035502:Trust; D014481:United States