Factors Related to Terminal Cancer Patients’ Trust in Palliative Care Doctors from the Point of View of Bereaved Family Members: a Qualitative Study

Abstract Background Trust is a key factor in achieving a good death. However, few studies have focused on factors that help terminal cancer patients to establish trusting relationships with their palliative care doctors. We therefore designed this exploratory qualitative study to identify factors related to terminal cancer patients’ trust in their doctors. Methods We conducted a semi-structured interview with 18 participants for data collection, and we opted to use the grounded theory approach in our analysis of the data. Results Our data revealed seven factors: 1) caring attitude, 2) symptom management, 3) courteous and specific explanations, 4) long-term involvement in the patient’s care, 5) being faced with inevitable death, 6) good impression of the institution, and 7) referral by a trusted doctor. These factors are categorized under three main themes: [1] palliative care doctors, [2] terminal cancer patients, and [3] institutional and professional reputation. Three of these factors are uniquely characteristic of palliative care: symptom management, being faced with inevitable death, and referral by a trusted doctor. Conclusions In this study, we clarified the seven factors with a qualitative study evaluating the perspective of bereaved family caregivers on aspects that related to their corresponding patient`s trust in palliative care physicians. In future, more quantitative research is needed to assess the validity of the factors identified here and to understand how these factors are associated with quality of death.