Does positive feedback or appraisal about medical providers increase patients' trust and lead to better treatment outcomes? A double-blind randomized control trial.
Huan-Jui Yeh, Hui-Chen Cheng, Shang-Chien Huang and 1 others
PMID 38075515WHAT IT FOUND
Showing patients a video praising their therapist did not increase trust.
Instead, the praised group reported worse pain interference in daily life than the control group. The study stopped early due to these adverse outcomes and low participant retention.
Key findings
01The intervention video, which introduced the therapist and highlighted their expertise and success rates, failed to improve patient trust scores compared to a control video with only educational content.
02Patients in the intervention group reported significantly higher pain interference levels for walking, work, and relationships, and a higher minimum pain score in the past 24 hours, compared to the control group.
03The trial was terminated early without extension because the intervention group showed worse treatment outcomes, suggesting a potential risk of adverse effects from this type of positive appraisal.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study was underpowered with only 32 participants. Attrition was very high, with 40% of the intervention group and 58.33% of the control group dropping out. The trial was stopped early due to adverse outcomes in the intervention group, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The trust measurement tool (C-WFPTS) may not have been sensitive enough to detect changes in trust. The study did not evaluate trust in the recommenders (the video content), only in the therapist, so the mechanism for the negative outcome is unclear.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The research received no specific funding grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the worse pain scores in the intervention group as proof that praise causes pain. The study was very small, had high dropout rates, and was stopped early. However, it does suggest that trying to boost trust by exaggerating a therapist's credentials may backfire, potentially by raising patient expectations or causing anxiety.