This qualitative study published in The Annals of Family Medicine explores how general practitioners conceptualize and experience trust in their patients—a topic less studied compared with patient trust in physicians. Through semistructured interviews with 25 Australian GPs, the authors identified trust as an assumed starting point in the therapeutic relationship. Over time, this trust is strengthened as patients engage more actively in their own care, reinforcing shared responsibility and transparency.
However, trust is challenged when GPs perceive secondary gain, manipulation, or inconsistencies in patient narratives. The findings underscore the need for clinical frameworks and system-level support to help GPs foster durable, mutually trusting relationships, particularly in patients with complex medical and psychosocial needs. To read the full article and explore the complete…
