Through efforts by his office staff, the doctor should strive to maintain contact with the patient between visits. Reminders should be mailed to the patient about upcoming appointments, and when the patient fails to show up for an appointment, the office should make contact and urge the patient to reschedule. Such an indication of interest on the part of the doctor will engender a sense of trust in the patient and will help to avoid the loss of trust.
V. Summary
Judging from the material that has been presented above, it is evident that matters of trust are extremely significant in establishing and maintaining a good doctor-patient relationship. In addition, if the principles underlying trust are followed, this should have a huge impact on healthcare disparities and cultural competency.
In the end analysis, we can positively affect the outcomes of our medical interventions simply by treating all patients equally well. This will help to fulfill the tremendous promise which our healthcare system can and should provide, especially to those who are most in need. In addition, inclusion of minorities in clinical trials is very important, and establishing trust in the medical system is fundamental to doing this. There is no doubt that the doctor is the key to its success.
Richard Allen Williams, MD, FACC, FAHA, FACP is Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, President/CEO, The Minority Health Institute, Inc., Founder, Association of Black Cardiologists Los Angeles, California and the 117th President, National Medical Association.