title: You Present like a Drug Addict: Patient and Clinician Perspectives on Trust and Trustworthiness in Chronic Pain Management.
abstract: Past research has demonstrated that trust is central to an effective therapeutic relationship, but the role of trust in chronic pain management is not well understood. The objective of this study was to provide an in-depth examination of how adults living with chronic pain negotiate trust and demonstrate trustworthiness with clinicians in therapeutic encounters.
  
  
  
  This qualitative study focused on adults living in an urban setting in British Columbia, Canada. Semi-structured interviews (N = 27) were conducted with participants with chronic low back pain. The results were triangulated by two feedback groups comprising re-contacted interview participants (n = 4) and physicians with expertise in pain and addiction management (n = 6).
  
  
  
  Grounded theory analysis of the adult patient interviews and feedback groups yielded four major themes: 1) threats to trustworthiness and iatrogenic suffering; 2) communicating the invisible and subjective condition of chronic pain; 3) motive, honesty, and testimony; and 4) stigmatized identities. The following two themes emerged from the analysis of the physician feedback group: 1) challenges of the practice context, and 2) complicated clinical relationships.
  
  
  
  We found that perceived trustworthiness is important in therapeutic encounters as it helps to negotiate tensions with respect to subjective pain symptoms, addiction, and prescription opioid use. An attitude of epistemic humility may help both clinicians and patients cultivate a trustworthy clinical environment, manage the challenges associated with uncertain testimony, place trust wisely, and promote optimal pain care.
authors.affiliation: *National Core for Neuroethics, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, and daniel.buchman@utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Daniel Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Buchman
authors.affiliation: W. Maurice Young Centre for Applied Ethics, the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Centre for Biomedical Ethics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: *National Core for Neuroethics, Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Illes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D059408:Pain Management; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D035502:Trust
keywords: Addiction; Chronic Pain; Opioid Analgesics; Qualitative Research; Trust