Determinants of trust in the patient-oncologist relationship.
OBJECTIVE
The relationship between the patient and physician is at the heart of good medical care, and trust is an essential component of this relationship. To enable the oncologist to better form a trusting relationship with the patient, this article describes four factors that influence patient trust.


METHODS
Thematic literature review and a clinical vignette.


RESULTS
The authors discuss four factors that influence patient trust. These factors are whether and how the oncologist (1) minimizes the potential for shame and humiliation during the medical encounter, (2) manages the power imbalance between doctor and patient without abuse or misuse, (3) demonstrates to the patient an appreciation of how he or she is suffering from experience of cancer, and (4) demonstrates to the patient how he or she is suffering from the treatment provided by the oncologist. The authors illustrate these factors with a clinical vignette.


CONCLUSIONS
The cancer patient is best cared for by an oncologist who can not only understand disease and treat medical problems, but also accompany the patient through the illness experience. This requires an appreciation of the challenges to trust that are inherent in the special characteristics of the patient-physician interaction.
New York University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
Nagashree
N
Seetharamu
Uzma
U
Iqbal
Joseph S
JS
Weiner
D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D004645:Empathy; D004992:Ethics, Medical; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008495:Medical Oncology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D012752:Shame; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D035502:Trust