Internet, lack of trust threatens patient-doctor bond
Physicians have worked to earn the trust of their patients for nearly 2,400 years, dating back to the days of Hippocrates, the father of Western medicine.
Lucky for Hippocrates that his patients didn’t have internet access.
A new study published today by University of Florida Health researchers suggests that distrust of the health care system, including government health agencies, is seeping into the doctor-patient relationship and threatening the delivery of care.
The study noted that people with low trust in the health care system are more than six times more likely to say their interaction with a doctor worsened after they brought information from the internet to their medical visit.
The correlation remained true regardless of a patient’s political leaning.
Study lead author Arch Mainous, Ph.D., a professor and vice chair of research in the UF College of Medicine’s Department of Community Health and Family Medicine, said many patients turn to social media, online forums or self-described experts who often espouse misinformation.
“It really comes down to trust,” Mainous said. “This is not explained by politics.”
These individuals then arrive at appointments, he said, expecting their doctors to validate what they found online. When that leads to disagreement, Mainous noted, their relationship suffers.