Factors influencing trust among colleagues in hospital settings: a systematic review
2025

Factors Influencing Trust Among Colleagues in Hospitals

Sample size: 11 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Andreea Isabela Varga, Ivan Spehar, Frode Veggeland, Helge Skirbekk

Primary Institution: University of Oslo

Hypothesis

What are the causes or influencing factors of trust between healthcare professionals working as colleagues in a hospital or similar setting?

Conclusion

Professionalism, communication, and ethics are the most important factors enhancing trust among healthcare professionals.

Supporting Evidence

  • Eight thousand two hundred sixty-eight studies were screened and 11 studies were included.
  • Seven studies were qualitative and four were quantitative.
  • Trust among colleagues was seen to thrive in work environments characterized by psychological safety.
  • Professional competence, communication, and ethical conduct were identified as key themes influencing trust.

Takeaway

This study looked at what makes healthcare workers trust each other. It found that being professional, communicating well, and having good ethics helps build trust.

Methodology

A systematic review of empirical studies on collegial trust relationships in hospital settings, including both qualitative and quantitative studies.

Potential Biases

Some studies had an associated risk of bias due to methodological flaws.

Limitations

Some studies lacked a clear definition of trust, and there was inconsistency in how trust was defined across studies.

Participant Demographics

The studies included healthcare professionals such as nurses and physicians from various hospital settings.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/s12913-024-12159-6

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