How to build good doctor–patient relationships: refutation texts
promote patient trust
Abstract
Objectives: Given the practical significance of
effectively enhancing patient trust, this study compares the
effectiveness of refutation and non-refutation texts in promoting
patient trust and further combines it with illness correlation to
provide suggestions for existing doctor–patient relationships.
Study design and methods: Study 1 used a single-factor
design to examine the effects of text form (refutation vs non-refutation
texts) on patient trust (moral + technical). Study 2 used a 2 × 2
between-subjects design to examine the effects of text form (refutation
vs non-refutation texts) and content (illness-related vs
non-illness-related) on patient trust (moral + technical). Study 3
sought assistance from hospital in a real medical environment to further
test the applicability and authenticity of the experimental results in
real-life situations. Results: Study 1 showed that
patients’ moral trust in the refutation text condition was significantly
higher than in the control group and non-refutation text condition.
However, there were no significant differences in technical trust.
Studies 2 and 3 showed that patient trust in the refutation text
condition was significantly higher than in the non-refutation text
condition, and patient trust in the illness-related condition was
significantly higher than in the non-illness-related condition.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that refutation texts
are most effective in improving patients’ moral and technical trust,
especially when the content of the text is related to their own illness.
We suggest the use of refutation texts to expand the coverage and
accuracy of patients’ medical knowledge and improve doctor–patient
interactions.