Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway

In this article, we explore and discuss how immigrant patients perceive trust in healthcare services. We ask how trust in healthcare is expressed by the patients, whether there are limits to trust, and how these limits can be interpreted. The study employs qualitative research methods – interviews w...

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Main Authors: Beret Bråten, Thea Beate Brevik
Format: Article
Language:Danish
Published: Universitetsforlaget 2024-11-01
Series:Nordisk Välfärdsforskning
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Online Access:https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/nwr.9.4.5
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author Beret Bråten
Thea Beate Brevik
author_facet Beret Bråten
Thea Beate Brevik
author_sort Beret Bråten
collection DOAJ
description In this article, we explore and discuss how immigrant patients perceive trust in healthcare services. We ask how trust in healthcare is expressed by the patients, whether there are limits to trust, and how these limits can be interpreted. The study employs qualitative research methods – interviews with nine immigrant patients in Norway about their experiences and perceptions of healthcare services. We conducted a thematic analysis of the material. The interviewees described trust in healthcare either as a product of a reciprocal relationship with health professionals or as a requirement for coping with their illness, where they had no choice but to trust the doctor. The former perspective implies that trust is not a given, but something that can be established or lost depending on the quality of communication and interaction. The latter perspective implies that trust is a social expectation and a coping mechanism, rather than a genuine expression of confidence or satisfaction. Limits to trust are made visible when interviewees underline the importance of being informed. They are told to rely on the information they receive from health professionals. However, some also accessed alternative sources of information from the internet or their social networks. They did not disclose these practices to health professionals, possibly in order to maintain their image as rational and compliant patients and to avoid the risk of losing trust or respect. We have identified a lack of reciprocity in their relationship with professionals, and we interpret this as an important limitation to trust.
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spelling doaj-art-553faed2767d4f7fa5d9a91ed4845a9b2025-08-20T02:07:02ZdanUniversitetsforlagetNordisk Välfärdsforskning2464-41612024-11-019433234410.18261/nwr.9.4.5Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in NorwayBeret Bråten0Thea Beate Brevik1Fafo Institute for Labour and Social Research, NorwayFaculty of Health Sciences and Social Care, Molde University College, NorwayIn this article, we explore and discuss how immigrant patients perceive trust in healthcare services. We ask how trust in healthcare is expressed by the patients, whether there are limits to trust, and how these limits can be interpreted. The study employs qualitative research methods – interviews with nine immigrant patients in Norway about their experiences and perceptions of healthcare services. We conducted a thematic analysis of the material. The interviewees described trust in healthcare either as a product of a reciprocal relationship with health professionals or as a requirement for coping with their illness, where they had no choice but to trust the doctor. The former perspective implies that trust is not a given, but something that can be established or lost depending on the quality of communication and interaction. The latter perspective implies that trust is a social expectation and a coping mechanism, rather than a genuine expression of confidence or satisfaction. Limits to trust are made visible when interviewees underline the importance of being informed. They are told to rely on the information they receive from health professionals. However, some also accessed alternative sources of information from the internet or their social networks. They did not disclose these practices to health professionals, possibly in order to maintain their image as rational and compliant patients and to avoid the risk of losing trust or respect. We have identified a lack of reciprocity in their relationship with professionals, and we interpret this as an important limitation to trust.https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/nwr.9.4.5trustimmigrant citizenhealth carecommunicationexperiences
spellingShingle Beret Bråten
Thea Beate Brevik
Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
Nordisk Välfärdsforskning
trust
immigrant citizen
health care
communication
experiences
title Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
title_full Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
title_fullStr Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
title_full_unstemmed Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
title_short Trust and the Limits of Trust: A Qualitative Exploration of Healthcare Experiences among Immigrant Patients in Norway
title_sort trust and the limits of trust a qualitative exploration of healthcare experiences among immigrant patients in norway
topic trust
immigrant citizen
health care
communication
experiences
url https://www.idunn.no/doi/10.18261/nwr.9.4.5
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AT theabeatebrevik trustandthelimitsoftrustaqualitativeexplorationofhealthcareexperiencesamongimmigrantpatientsinnorway