Surgeons Should Build Relationships, Engender Trust with Patients to Improve Outcomes

Bolaji T, Rogers S. The Hidden Battle of Distrust. Ann Surg. 2025; in press.

This viewpoint article provided valuable perspectives on the importance of patient distrust of the healthcare system as a cause of adverse events and emotional damage in patients and their families.

Several of the known social determinants of health, which include race, lower socioeconomic status, less access to primary care, and reduced access to treatments for chronic diseases, contribute to the problem of distrust. These factors are associated with reluctance to participate in research studies and increased use of alternative treatments and spiritual practices for treatment of diseases.

The authors noted that patients may view the healthcare system as being at odds with cultural beliefs; the lack of racial and gender diversity among healthcare providers adds to this problem.

Trust increases when healthcare providers advocate for policy changes that address systemic inequities.

The authors noted that trust grows when healthcare providers live in the communities they serve and form partnerships that support community well-being. Because trust is the backbone of successful medical care, all providers can and should work to “mend the wounds of mistrust.”