“The Trust Deficit: Why Patients Are Losing Faith in Healthcare And What Leaders Must Do Now”

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“The Trust Deficit: Why Patients Are Losing Faith in Healthcare And What Leaders Must Do Now”

A groundbreaking national survey has unveiled a startling truth: trust in the U.S. healthcare system is cracking and fast. The comprehensive study "Fixing the Fracture: Rebuilding Patient Trust" reveals the hidden fractures within patient-provider relationships and what’s fueling America's medical trust crisis.  




Survey Snapshot: Who and What Was Studied?

Conducted by AMF Media Group in collaboration with Armanino and the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), this national survey gathered insights from 2,400 adults across socioeconomic and racial backgrounds. Aim to understand why trust in healthcare is failing and how we can rebuild it.

Top Insights from the Survey: The Trust Crisis in Focus

1. Trust Is Not the Same for Everyone

While healthcare professionals like doctors and nurses remain the most trusted figures, systemic trust is growing fast.

  • Insurance companies (25%), pharmaceutical firms (17%), and government involvement (17%) are the leading reasons for declining trust.

  • Surprisingly, COVID-19 (8%) and vaccine doubts (6%) ranked much lower as reasons for mistrust.

2. Trust Gaps Are Deep and Racially Distinct

  • African Americans cite historical abuses (Tuskegee, Sims studies) and medical errors as key reasons for distrust (21% and 19%, respectively).

  • Hispanics reported the sharpest decline in overall trust, largely blaming government influence (22%).

  • Whites: Pointed to insurance companies as their top source of mistrust (29%).

What Builds Trust in Healthcare? Patients Speak

The survey sheds light on what truly matters to patients:

Top Trust-Building Behaviors in Providers

  • Honesty and transparency (23%)

  • Active listening (19%)

  • Showing genuine care (17%)

  • Clear explanation of outcomes (14%)

✅ 70% of respondents said improving these behaviors would significantly increase trust.

Cultural Competency Matters

  • 33% of African Americans said cultural understanding greatly boosts trust.

  • Many Hispanic patients (18%) felt their provider did not care about them personally.

  • Language barriers and a lack of interpretive services remain major issues.

Access Inequality: The Silent Trust Killer

Local Care Gaps Affect Trust Levels

  • 53% of respondents felt their communities lacked enough primary care physicians.

  • Only 50% reported adequate access to specialty care.

  • 54% of Hispanics noted a shortage of specialists in their area.

Behavioral Health Gaps Are Most Critical

  • Just 37% believed there were enough mental health facilities.

  • A staggering 63% reported a minor (32%) or major (31%) shortage.

The most common concern among African American respondents was the lack of accessible healthcare services (13%), followed by hospital costs.

What This Means for Healthcare Leaders

"Just as a doctor looks at the whole patient, the healthcare industry must take a holistic view of its credibility crisis," says Joe Denneny, Research Director at AMF Media Group.

This research gives leaders something they rarely get: direct insight from patients about what builds or breaks trust. It’s a wake-up call for:

  • Hospital executives

  • Practice managers

  • Healthcare marketers

  • Policy influencers

Actionable Next Steps: Turning Insight into Impact

To turn the findings into real-world improvements, AMF Media Group, Armanino, and MGMA are hosting in-person strategy sessions across major U.S. cities, starting April 29.

What These Events Offer:

  • Discussion of survey findings

  • Real-world case studies

  • Trust-building strategies tailored to today’s patients

  • Networking with healthcare leaders and experts

Final Thoughts: Healthcare’s New Prescription Trust

The message from patients is loud and clear: Trust isn’t earned with technology or policy, it’s earned through care, connection, and cultural understanding. The solution won’t come from the top down. It will take every healthcare touchpoint, from leadership to the bedside, to repair the trust fracture.

“We finally have data from the source that matters most the patient,” says Andrew Swanson, Chief Revenue Officer at MGMA. “Now the question is: What will we do with it?”


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