Building Trust

While studies have documented a lack of trust in the healthcare system, little evidence exists on how to build trust and mutual respect to address and overcome the health inequities that exist. Projects under the Building Trust and Mutual Respect to Improve Health Care program seek to understand the level of trust patients have across the many facets of the health care system.

While studies have documented a lack of trust in the healthcare system, little evidence exists on how to build trust and mutual respect to address and overcome the health inequities that exist across different patient populations, including diverse racial and ethnic populations, lower-income populations, the uninsured, people with complex health and social needs, etc. In 2018, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation awarded eight grants, managed by AcademyHealth, to better understand the level of trust patients have across the many facets of the health care system, with a particular focus on historically marginalized populations.