Rebuild doctor-patient trust in medical service delivery in China

Sci Rep. 2020 Dec 15;10(1):21956. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-78921-y.

Abstract

Doctor-patient trust is not strong in China, but studies examining this factor remain insufficient. The present study aimed to explore the effect of doctor-patient communication, medical service quality, and service satisfaction on patient trust in doctors. Five hundred sixty-four patients with tuberculosis participated in this cross-sectional study in Dalian, China. They completed questionnaires assessing socio-demographic characteristics, doctor-patient communication, medical service quality, service satisfaction and patient trust in medical staff. A structural equation model was applied to examine the hypotheses, and all the study hypotheses were supported: (1) doctor-patient communication, medical service quality and service satisfaction were positively associated with building doctor-patient trust; (2) service quality positively mediated the relationship between doctor-patient communication and trust; (3) medical service satisfaction positively mediated the relationship between doctor-patient communication and trust; (4) medical service satisfaction positively mediated the relationship between medical service quality and doctor-patient trust; and (5) medical service quality and service satisfaction were the positively sequential mediators between communication and doctor-patient trust. Based on these findings, improvements in doctor-patient communication, medical service quality, and service satisfaction are the important issues contributing to the rebuilding of doctor-patient trust in medical service delivery.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • China
  • Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration*
  • Female
  • Hospitals, Rural / organization & administration
  • Hospitals, Urban / organization & administration
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Physician-Patient Relations*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Trust*
  • Young Adult