Fostering appropriate questioning and well-placed trust in the acute care setting: developing an ethical framework and practical policy

Patients need to trust their doctor, particularly when they are acutely ill and need hospital care. Too much, or poorly-placed trust, however, might not be beneficial. 

I will explore what well-placed trust is in the acute setting, and consider the links between information sharing, communication, trust, and asking questions. I will explore if asking relevant questions and written communication might improve trust and care in the acute setting. There will be three interlinked research strands: a critical review of academic papers on trust and communication with an ethical analysis; interviews with patients, doctors, and nurses; and questionnaires using case scenarios, which will be sent to clinicians. 

I will use this information to develop a practical policy for patient-doctor communication with a pro forma for sharing written information with patients in the acute medical setting.