Patients of color are more likely than non-Latino white patients to say doctors are unconcerned about their health and don't see them as equal, according to a study produced by Emory University on patients' trust of physicians.  

"Disaggregating Ethnoracial Disparities in Physician Trust," which will be published as the lead article in the November issue of Social Science Research, found that individuals of a particular race tend to have a similar stance on physician trust, regardless of education, income, and marital status, but all communities of color shouldn't be lumped together. Abigail Sewell, an assistant professor of sociology at Emory University, led the research of ethnoracial differences in trust and analyzed data taken from 2002 and 2006 General Social Surveys, conducted by the National Opinion Research Center.

After closely measuring physician trust, Sewell learned there are differences in areas where blacks and Latinos might show trust in a white physician, suggesting that non-white populations can't be lumped together when attempting to understand race and physician trust. If a patient doesn't have faith in a doctor's expertise, trustworthiness or commitment to uphold the Hippocratic Oath, then a patient will be more inclined to resign themselves from their physician's care.

While African-Americans are less likely to trust the interpersonal competence and technical judgment of doctors, U.S. Latinos are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to trust the interpersonal competence, technical judgment and the fiduciary ethic (obligation to ethically act in the best interest of the patient) of doctors.

"By more closely measuring differences in physician trust, we find key differences in how people view their physicians, which reflect the social and racial structure in which they live," Sewell said, according to a press release. "You can't determine the true nature of racial differences with standard measurement techniques."

Depending on which aspect of physician trust, there are racial variations. Non-Hispanic white and black patients have similar views when it comes to physician honesty. Also, Latino and black patients differ with regards to ethnoracial difference in parental nativity. Nonetheless, black and Latino perspectives were more likely to align, as patients from both communities were more likely than non-Hispanic white patients to say doctors were less concerned with their health or well-being, and the doctor didn't see them as equal. This likely contributes to the "trust gap" that exists between races, as well as the belief that patients of color receive less effective healthcare. For many patients of color, the quality of service in clinics appear to be dependent on ethnoracial hierarchies.

"If they don't have an emotional connection with their doctor, they're not as committed to the doctor's recommendations or are less likely to seek help in the first place. That social distance, a belief that the doctor doesn't care about them as a person, creates less buy-in from the patient," said Sewell.