Blacks less likely to trust providers, survey finds

Black patients are less likely than white patients to trust their doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers, according to a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The study was based on 1999 telephone surveys of 955 adults -- 432 blacks and 522 whites. Some 44.7% of blacks and 33.5% of whites reported low levels of trust in their providers. Researchers said the results could help healthcare providers better understand the factors that influence trust in different patient communities, allowing providers to take steps to foster trust and enhance medical care. In particular, "training designed to improve provider communication with patients may be needed to improve trust for African-Americans and whites," the authors wrote. Survey participants answered questions on demographics, healthcare experiences and whether their provider's racial background matched their own. Read the study. -- by Michael Romano