DEVELOPING TRUST

Abstract

This article analyzes the patient/practitioner encounters of African-Americans who utilized natural (drugless) systems of health care. It identifies those features of the encounter that engendered trust. The view presented is that trust is a necessary component of sustained, uncoerced interaction and that patients typically seek to control the patient/practitioner encounter. Patient acquiescence and dependency in the encounter is not automatic and is strongly related to the attainment of trust.