General Practitioners’ Trust in Their Patients: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

PURPOSE Mutual trust is a critical component of the physician-patient relationship, and although much research has examined patient trust in the physician, little attention has been given to the physician’s trust in the patient in the general practice setting. This study explored general practitioners’ (GPs’) understanding of trust in their patients. METHODS We conducted a qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews with a convenience sample of Australian GPs mostly from metropolitan New South Wales, focused on how the GPs understood trust in their patients, how such trust developed, and its implications for medical care. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, ..