Presenting a compendium of measures on trust in health care, Jody Platt, M.P.H., Ph.D., and Lauren Taylor, M.Div, M.P.H., Ph.D., AcademyHealth Trust Scholars in Residence, offer insights into the methods used to gauge trust and provide guidance for those aiming to participate in its measurement. The report includes questions and recommendations for individuals engaged in the evaluation, selection, or creation of measurement tools, coupled with concise “case study” analyses of pivotal trust measures.
The objective is to empower readers to articulate the rationale behind measuring trust, pinpoint key attributes to prioritize in measurement, and establish clear expectations regarding the strengths and weaknesses of their chosen measures. Drs. Platt and Taylor open the compendium with the following observations:
"Trust is foundational to the delivery of health care. Physicians, patients, and organizations rely on one another to perform their responsibilities competently, to be honest in their dealings with one another, and to ensure safety. Trust in each of these relationships is challenged daily. Increasing violence in health care settings, predatory billing practices, and discrimination against patients – in addition to the inherent risk of medical care and medical procedures – heightens the need for, and threat to, trust in health care."
Read the full report here.