Paul Ciechanowski, CEO and founder of Samepage, was recently featured as lead author of a large, five-year University of Washington study showing that lack of trust is associated with higher mortality in patients with diabetes. Conducted at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle, over 3,500 patients with diabetes in a primary care setting were assessed regarding their ability to collaborate or reach out to others. Those with an independent relationship style, who were less likely to reach out to others, had a 33 percent higher mortality rate over five years compared to patients with a more “interactive” style of relating.
"Our research is based on a developmental theory known as attachment theory where earlier experiences often shape an individual's ability to trust later in life," Ciechanowski explains to
UW News. "As clinicians, we have to keep in mind that what we say and how we say it can make a big difference in trust between clinician and patient -- which has implications for treatment adherence and health outcomes. Bedside manner matters. Also, as stewards of healthcare, we have to be mindful about what our fast-paced healthcare system says to patients to engender trust or not. Long waits, less face-to-face time with providers, rashly delivered health information, and lack of continuous care can reduce trust -- particularly in those with an independent relationship style."
This research by Dr. Ciechanowski and his team from Group Health Research Institute, UW Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, and UW Departments of Medicine and Epidemiology, was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and appears in this month’s Diabetes Care. See also: http://uwnews.org/article.asp?articleID=56375
Samepage staff