Health Affairs January 10, 2025
Trustworthiness, as described by the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Center for Health Justice, is a “necessary precursor to trust that is rooted in honesty and honors lived experience.” It is also key to a successful patient-provider partnership. Trustworthiness is fundamental, humanistic, and earned based on actions taken to address unmet needs.
Yet, today we are faced with a glaring yet major problem: the erosion of trustworthiness in our health system. There are a growing number of stories about significant administrative complexities in health care, and the (mis)use of artificial intelligence (AI) has resulted in batch denied care that is arguably necessary. Many individuals struggling with mental illness go without diagnosis and holistic treatment because behavioral health is perceived...