The Impact of Diabetes Patients' Trust in Their Physicians on Medical Care & Health-Producing Activities

Abstract

This research evaluates how a diabetic’s trust in his physician, as measured through the area of communication between the patient and physician, and his travel costs influence his decision to obtain medical care and spend time on health-producing activities such as diet and exercise. By identifying the factors that prevent the patient from properly managing his diabetes, certain policy measures can be implemented (e.g. providing transportation, funds for transportation, translators, etc.) to encourage proper disease management. Further, with an increase in group practices, it would be interesting to evaluate how the effectiveness of these programs is influenced by better patient-provider relationships.