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The Association of Provider Communication with Trust among Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

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Abstract

Background

Adults with sickle cell disease often report poor interpersonal healthcare experiences, including poor communication with providers. However, the effect of these experiences on patient trust is unknown.

Objective

To determine the association between patient ratings of the previous quality of provider communication and current trust in the medical profession among adults with sickle cell disease.

Research design

Cross-sectional survey.

Participants

A total of 95 adults with sickle cell disease.

Measurements

The four-item Provider Communication Subscale from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Plans and Systems Survey; The five-item Wake Forest Trust in the Medical Profession Scale.

Main results

Better ratings of previous provider communication were significantly associated with higher levels of trust toward the medical profession. A 10% increase in provider communication rating was associated with a 3.76% increase in trust scores (p < 0.001, 95% CI [1.76%, 5.76%]), adjusting for patient-level demographic, clinical, and attitudinal characteristics.

Conclusions

Poorer patient ratings of provider communication are associated with lower trust toward the medical profession among adults with sickle cell disease. Future research should examine the impact of low trust in the medical profession on clinical outcomes in this population of patients.

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Haywood’s effort was supported by a National Research Service Award Minority Predoctoral Fellowship from National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grant #: 5F31HL082037-03. This study was conducted with grant support from the Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Research Fund. The funding agencies did not have a role in the design, conduct, or reporting of the study.

Conflicts of Interest

None disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Carlton Haywood Jr PhD, MA

  2. Division of Hematology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Sophie Lanzkron MD

  3. University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Neda Ratanawongsa MD, MPH & Neil R. Powe MD, MPH, MBA

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Shawn M. Bediako PhD

  5. The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Lakshmi Lattimer MD

  6. The Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Mary Catherine Beach MD, MPH

Authors
  1. Carlton Haywood Jr PhD, MA
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  2. Sophie Lanzkron MD
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  3. Neda Ratanawongsa MD, MPH
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  4. Shawn M. Bediako PhD
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  5. Lakshmi Lattimer MD
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  6. Neil R. Powe MD, MPH, MBA
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  7. Mary Catherine Beach MD, MPH
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Carlton Haywood Jr PhD, MA.

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Haywood, C., Lanzkron, S., Ratanawongsa, N. et al. The Association of Provider Communication with Trust among Adults with Sickle Cell Disease. J GEN INTERN MED 25, 543–548 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1247-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-009-1247-7

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