Trust of nurse practitioners and physicians among African Americans with hypertension

Abstract

Purpose: To examine correlates of low-income African Americans' level of trust in healthcare providers. Specific aims were to (a) describe the levels and correlations of trust, mistrust, and satisfaction; (b) compare trust scores by provider type (nurse practitioner [NP] and medical doctor) and clinic type (nurse-managed clinic [NMC] and joint-managed clinic [JMC]); and (c) examine the relationship of patient and provider demographic factors (e.g., race concordance) with trust in the provider. Data sources: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 145 low-income African Americans (51% women, 49% men; mean age = 49.4 years). All participants were enrolled in a larger study that examined the effect of psychosocial variables on hypertension outcomes. Participants completed three questionnaires: Trust in Provider Scale, Cultural Mistrust Inventory, and the Michigan Academic Consortium Patient Satisfaction tool. Chart audits were performed to collect clinical data. Conclusions: Trust and satisfaction were moderately high, M = 3.9 (0.56), M = 4.1 (0.57), respectively, on the 5-point scales, and cultural mistrust was in the moderate range, M = 3.9 (0.79), on a 7-point scale. No significant differences in mistrust, t(142) = -1.43, p =.155, or satisfaction, t(142) = 0.716, p =.475, were noted by provider type. Trust was significantly higher for patients seen by NPs, t(142) = 2.57, p =.011. Additionally, patients seen in the NMC reported significantly higher levels of trust than those seen in the JMC, t(143) = 3.62, p