Trust in the patient–provider relationship is the expectation that a provider will act in the patient’s interest and is highly determined by institutional factors, such as trust in public institutions, and interpersonal factors, such as the health provider’s ability to communicate or level of clinical competence. Our University of Glasgow-funded collaborative GCID project sought to investigate such trust and determinants thereof in distinct settings, focusing on the control of major debilitating parasitic diseases in Cameroon, such as schistosomiasis.
From January 2024 onward, participants were enrolled and tested to unveil a direct comparison of the trust levels of ‘patients’ actively seeking care and those passively receiving care. Results from our study are key to tackling neglected tropical diseases like schistosomiasis, where treatment coverage is based on MDA and, therefore, adherence is potentially driven by trust in national control programs within the healthcare system and the effectiveness of such interventions, which have been widely used for over 20 years worldwide. We went on to present all findings to stakeholders, participants, and authorities and do hereby notify the community of the upcoming manuscript on our findings.
