Abstract B117: The association between discrimination or poor provider communication and public trust in cancer advice from physicians

Abstract This study aims to assess the impact of negative healthcare experiences, including poor provider communication and discrimination, on physician trust in cancer-related advice. While trust in physicians is an important factor influencing patient engagement and health outcomes, there is limited research assessing trust in physicians regarding cancer-related information, including prevention, among the general population. Data for this study were obtained from the Health Information National Trends Survey 6 (HINTS-6). The survey was administered using equal probability sampling to random samples of adults aged 18 or older residing in the US. Trust in cancer information was assessed using the question "In general, how much would you trust information about cancer from a doctor?" Patient experiences with healthcare were assessed via their self-reported history of communication and discrimination. Communication was assessed with seven unique questions on the domains of Opportunity for Questions, Emotional Support, Shared Decision-Making, Self-Management Support, Clarity of Communication, Time Spent with Patient, Managing Uncertainty. Racial or ethnic discrimination was assesed with the question "Have you ever been treated unfairly or been discriminated against when getting medical care because of your race or ethnicity?" Binary logistic regression was performed to identify associations between covariates and trust in physicians’ cancer information. Patients reporting dissatisfaction across all seven patient-communication categories exhibited the lowest rates of trust among all covariates (aOR: 0.34, CI: 0.28-0.42). Respondents who experienced racial or ethnic discrimination in healthcare were less likely to express high trust (aOR: 0.65, CI: 0.50-0.84). Racial disparities were also identified, with non-Whites and Hispanics reporting lower levels of trust. This study highlights the significant association of negative healthcare interactions on trust in physicians’ cancer-related advice and underscores the need for improved patient-centered communication. Citation Format: Aaron Shaykevich, Martha Wojtowycz. The association between discrimination or poor provider communication and public trust in cancer advice from physicians [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B117.