The Association of Provider Communication with Trust among Adults with Sickle Cell Disease

Background Adults with sickle cell disease often report poor interpersonal healthcare experiences, including poor communication with providers. However, the effect of these experiences on patient trust is unknown. Objective To determine the association between patient ratings of the previous quality of provider communication and current trust in the medical profession among adults with sickle cell disease. Research design Cross-sectional survey. Participants A total of 95 adults with sickle cell disease. Measurements The four-item Provider Communication Subscale from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Plans and Systems Survey; The five-item Wake Forest Trust in the Medical Profession Scale. Main results Better ratings of previous provider communication were significantly associated with higher levels of trust toward the medical profession. A 10% increase in provider communication rating was associated with a 3.76% increase in trust scores (p