title: Effects of perceived racism, cultural mistrust and trust in providers on satisfaction with care.
abstract: Discriminatory treatment of African Americans in healthcare is well recognized, yet the literature is unclear on the specific role that perceived racism and mistrust play in the patient-provider relationship. The purpose of this study was to test a mid-range theoretical model entitled Perceptions of Racism and Mistrust in Health Care (PRMHC). This model hypothesized that perceived racism influences cultural mistrust, which affects trust in providers--and these combined psychosocial aspects of healthcare affect satisfaction with the care received. One-hundred-forty-five African-American subjects participated in structured interviews to collect demographic and psychosocial data. Provider data was obtained through chart audits. In a group of low-income African Americans in two primary care clinics, perceptions of racism and mistrust of whites had a significant negative effect on trust and satisfaction. Perceived racism had both a significant, inverse direct effect on satisfaction as well as a significant indirect effect on satisfaction mediated by cultural mistrust and trust in provider. Structural equation modeling analysis supported the hypothesized theoretical relationships and explained 27% of the variance in satisfaction with care. The findings add to the existing literature by enhancing our understanding of the complex perspectives on trust and overall satisfaction with care among African-American patients. Results suggest that improving health outcomes for African Americans requires a broader understanding of cultural competence, one that addresses societal racism and its impact on provider-patient relationships.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. ramonabenkert@wayne.edu
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Benkert
authors.forename: Rosalind M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Rodney
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keves-Foster
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011287:Prejudice; D035502:Trust / Q000523:psychology*