Trust in Healthcare: Need for Perspectives from Developing Healthcare Settings

Trust in physicians is defined as the optimistic acceptance of vulnerability by the patients and seekers of healthcare in the belief that the provider will do what is best for them. Trust is an important intrinsic good in healthcare. Trust in healthcare leads to improved adherence to treatment, continuity of care, increased efficacy and better disclosure of sensitive information and avoidance of unnecessary investigations. Most of the studies of trust in healthcare originate from developed countries. The scales to measure trust are also largely based on developed settings. Trust in healthcare in developing countries is likely to be different because of health inequities, low public budget allocation, inadequate quality of healthcare and organisation of the health system. There is a need to understand trust in the setting of developing countries. This review looks at the social construct of trust in healthcare, its dimensions, determinants, and whether trust can be built as currently understood and whether it needs to be different in the context of developing countries.