Negotiated or taken-for-granted trust? Explicit and implicit interpretations of trust in a medical setting

Med Health Care Philos. 2009 Mar;12(1):3-7. doi: 10.1007/s11019-008-9142-2. Epub 2008 May 30.

Abstract

Trust between a patient and a medical doctor is normally both justified and taken for granted, but sometimes it may need to be negotiated. In this paper I will present how trust can be interpreted as both an explicit and implicit phenomenon, drawing on literature from the social sciences and philosophy. The distinction between explicit and implicit interpretations of trust will be used to address problems that may arise in clinical consultations. Negotiating trust in any way very easily brings distrust into a situation, but sometimes this can be helpful for building a more functional patient-doctor relationship.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Attitude of Health Personnel*
  • Clinical Competence
  • Communication
  • Family Practice / ethics*
  • Humans
  • Internal-External Control
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Philosophy, Medical*
  • Physician's Role*
  • Physician-Patient Relations / ethics*
  • Trust*