Explicating the Cognitive Process of a Physician’s Trust in Patients: A Moderated Mediation Model

Trust is considered a critical factor in the physician–patient relationship. However, little is known about the development and impact of physicians trusting their patients. A model that is premised on the integrated model of organizational trust was proposed in this article to reveal the cognitive processes involved in physicians’ trust, with perceived integrity and the ability of the patient as antecedents and the physicians’ communication efficacy as the outcome. A cross-sectional survey of 348 physicians in Zhejiang province, China, revealed that a physician’s trust in a patient mediated the relationship between the physicians’ perception of the integrity and ability of the patient, and the physician’s communication efficacy. The physicians’ educational backgrounds and work experience were also found to moderate an indirect effect: a lower level of education and longer work experience intensified the impact of the perceived integrity and ability of the patient on the physician’s trust, while shorter work experience made the association between the physician’s trust and communication efficacy more salient. This paper provided implications for both physician and patient sides.