The doctor-patient relationship has much deeper meaning than just confidentiality. Most people see this interaction as a communication issue. The strength of the bond is based, however, on the expression, “you can tell the doctor anything, and he will keep it to himself.” He will not share your darkest secrets. What you tell him will remain just that—between the two of you.
But more than confidentiality, the doctor-patient bond is strengthened by a shared mutual trust. A trust that is built through familiarity, dependability, competence, and communication. Patients trust their doctors when the doctor shows he is concerned about his patient, makes the right diagnosis, and prescribes treatment that is effective. The doctor develops trust in his patient when the patient tells him the truth about his situation, and takes responsibility for management of his problem. Does the patient do what the doctor recommends? Or does the patient ignore the doctor and do what feels right to him. Being truthful and not holding back details tells the physician he can trust this patient.
Physicians have a “moral duty” to trust their patients. Trust builds a therapeutic bond that is so important to the recovery of the patient. Physicians are skeptics and have to see something with their own eyes to believe it. They are instinctively suspicious of patients because so many people don’t provide “all the details” and share the truth. They present their situation in a manner that favors them. But open communication and frequent professional interaction engender trust for both parties.
Trust and honesty by patients and provider serve to enhance therapeutic success. The patient believes in the doctors and the doctors believe in the patients. In this situation, patients work harder at therapy, tolerate pain better, and get better faster. Trust is incredibly important for the doctor-patient relationship, and that relationship is the key element of a successful therapeutic alliance. On many occasions, trust exists subtly and is not expressed verbally, but it still strengthens the relationship from both the doctor’s and patient’s perspectives. Without trust, the doctor and his patient are doomed to have conflict that undermines therapeutic success.
When we invest ourselves in a relationship, it strengthens the bond and shows commitment. Mutual trust is the bond and commitment is the end result. The doctor-patient relationship will not suffer but only be improved by this action.
Reference: Uebel K, Yong FR, Agaliotis M, et al. General Practitioners’ Trust in Their Patients: A Qualitative Study Ann Fam Med 2025 November/December; 23(6):500-506.
