ArticleBMC health services research2015
A qualitative study of patient (dis)trust in public and private hospitals: the importance of choice and pragmatic acceptance for trust considerations in South Australia.
Article in BMC health services research, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Why do people trust (or mistrust) health organizations? A systematic review.International journal for equity in health · 2026Pooled it
- Contextual influences on implementation of online behavioral obesity treatment in primary care: formative evaluation guided by the consolidated framework for implementation research.Translational behavioral medicine · 2022Trial
- Outcomes of a structured exercise and education program for hip and knee osteoarthritis across different clinical and geographic settings in Australia: A cohort study of 9,938 participants.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2026Article
- Virtual Care and Compassion for Migrants and Refugees: A Scoping Review.Journal of immigrant and minority health · 2026Review
- How Private Health Insurance Shapes Perceptions of Public Healthcare in Sweden.The International journal of health planning and management · 2025Article
- 'Finally, in Hands I Can Trust': Perspectives on Trust in Motor Neurone Disease Care.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- What Key Factors Affect Patient Satisfaction on Online Medical Consultation Platforms? A Case Study from China.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Exploratory analysis of factors influencing hospital preferences among the Lebanese population: a cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Applying Social Practice Theory to Explore Australian Preschool Children's Oral Health.JDR clinical and translational research · 2024Article
- Exploring the factors impacting choice and quality of overnight private hospital stays and consumer perspectives on patient reported experience measures (PREMs) in Australia: a qualitative interview study.Journal of patient-reported outcomes · 2024Article
- Association between dyslipidaemia knowledge & lipid testing practice among adults, a community-based study.PloS one · 2024Article
- Rating communication skills in dental practice: the impact of different sociodemographic factors.BMC medical education · 2023Article
- Exploring the Decision-Making Process of People Living with HIV Enrolled in Antiretroviral Clinical Trials: A Qualitative Study of Decisions Guided by Trust and Emotions.Health care analysis : HCA : journal of health philosophy and policy · 2023Article
- Does positive feedback or appraisal about medical providers increase patients' trust and lead to better treatment outcomes? A double-blind randomized control trial.Journal of physical therapy science · 2023Article
- Mapping trust relationships in organ donation and transplantation: a conceptual model.BMC medical ethics · 2023Article
- Barriers to access to antiretroviral therapy by people living with HIV in an indonesian remote district during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.BMC infectious diseases · 2023Article
- The impact of working in COVID-19 hospital on indonesian nurses' mental health and wellbeing: a qualitative study.BMC nursing · 2022Article
- Impact of Patient Communication Preferences on the Patient Trust in Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study in Iranian Outpatient's Clinics.Journal of patient experience · 2022Article
- Pregnant women's experiences with the management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: a qualitative study.BMC health services research · 2021Article
- Doctor-patient communication skills: a survey on knowledge and practice of Iranian family physicians.BMC family practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis paper explores the nature and reasoning for (dis)trust in Australian public and private hospitals. Patient trust increases uptake of, engagement with and optimal outcomes from healthcare services and is therefore central to health practice, policy and planning.
methodsA qualitative study in South Australia, including 36 in-depth interviews (18 from public and 18 from private hospitals).
results'Private patients' made active choices about both their hospital and doctor, playing the role of the 'consumer', where trust and choice went hand in hand. The reputation of the doctor and hospital were key drivers of trust, under the assumption that a better reputation equates with higher quality care. However, making a choice to trust a doctor led to personal responsibility and the additional requirement for self-trust. 'Public patients' described having no choice in their hospital or doctor. They recognised 'problems' in the public healthcare system but accepted and even excused these as 'part of the system'. In order to justify their trust, they argued that doctors in public hospitals tried to do their best in difficult circumstances, thereby deserving of trust. This 'resigned trust' may stem from a lack of alternatives for free health care and thus a dependence on the system.
conclusionThese two contrasting models of trust within the same locality point to the way different configurations of healthcare systems, hospital experiences, insurance coverage and related forms of 'choice' combine to shape different formats of trust, as patients act to manage their vulnerability within these contexts.
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