How is patient-provider trust established, or broken, within healthcare settings?

Black Americans experience disproportionally worse health outcomes compared to non-Black Americans, including increased mortality rates for Black women and disparities in life expectancy. Lack of trust in the healthcare system likely contributes to these gaps. A 2022 Pew study of Black adults found that 49% believe these outcomes are because healthcare providers are less likely to give them the most advanced medical care, and 47% believe that hospitals and medical centers give lower priority to their well-being.

The first phase of this research focused on historical and ongoing factors creating mistrust for Black patients in the healthcare journey through secondary research and interviews with Black Gensler employees. In our second phase of research, we interviewed nurses to understand how they earn the trust of Black patients and how trust can suffer within the patients' healthcare journey. How can the physical, digital, and cultural settings in healthcare help build trust with Black communities to support better health outcomes? There is no single solution. Building trust requires healthcare settings to balance four key tensions in design, technology, relationships, and choice.