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Call for papers - Trust and mistrust in primary care

Guest Editors

Derek T. Dangerfield II, PhD, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, USA
Achim Mortsiefer, PhD, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 15 January 2025

BMC Primary Care is calling for submissions to our Collection on Trust and mistrust in primary care. 

This Collection explores the role of trust, distrust, and mistrust within primary care, addressing diverse topics including the importance of the primary care professional-patient relationship, communication dynamics, socioeconomic influences, cultural awareness, and new technological innovations. By launching this Collection, BMC Primary Care seeks to collate research that contributes to the advancement of a more equitable, just, and patient-centered primary care environment.


New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Derek T. Dangerfield II, PhD, George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, USA

Dr Derek Dangerfield is a prevention scientist with expertise in health behavior research, social science theory, and sexual health promotion among racial and sexual minority men. His primary research promotes sexual health for Black sexual minority men throughout the USA. Currently, Dr Dangerfield is leading a digital prospective cohort study to identify changes in HIV care outcomes among Mid-Atlantic Black sexual minority men. He is an Associate Professor at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health.
 

Achim Mortsiefer, PhD, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany

Dr Achim Mortsiefer has been working as a GP in Cologne, Germany, since 2003 and is a Professor of General Practice at the Faculty of Health, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany. His research focuses on doctor-patient communication, multimorbidity, polypharmacy, and drug therapy safety in primary care. He is a member of the European General Practice Research Network (EGPRN) and one of the founders of the German Deprescribing Network (GerDeN). Additionally, he is Chair of General Practice II and Patient-Centredness in Primary Care, Institute of General Practice and Primary Care (IAMAG).

About the Collection

BMC Primary Care is calling for submissions to our Collection on Trust and mistrust in primary care.

Trust is essential for establishing an effective primary care professional (PCP)-patient relationship that influences the overall success of primary care. Attempts to improve primary care utilization, establish inclusive care, and resolve health inequities can be ineffective when there is a lack of trust between patients, PCPs, and health systems. In response to the increasing attention and awareness of medical mistrust in recent years, BMC Primary Care has opened a new Collection, Trust and mistrust in primary care. This Collection aims to collate research that evaluates how trust, mistrust, and distrust arise and impact the delivery of primary care, alongside research that explores novel approaches to promote health equity by improving the relationship between primary care institutions and the communities they serve. 

In this Collection, we welcome submissions that span a wide array of topics, including but not limited to: 

  • Communication and trust: Examine the role of communication in fostering or eroding trust, considering both verbal and non-verbal aspects and the implications for effective primary care.
  • Socioeconomic factors and patient-provider relationships: Explore the influence of socioeconomic factors, addressing how economic disparities may contribute to and impact the overall patient experience, including the importance of cultural awareness in ensuring equitable health care.
  • Technological innovations and trust: Analyze the role of emerging technologies, such as telemedicine, in shaping trust dynamics, investigating how these innovations may either mitigate or exacerbate mistrust.
  • Health policy mistrust: Research that evaluates the role of health systems and health policy in mistrust.
  • Community trust: Approaches to enable primary care professionals to promote trust in their communities.
  • Overall well-being: Research that describes measures, interventions, and approaches to improve patient trust in primary care.


By launching this Collection, BMC Primary Care aims to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. 

Image credit: © megaflopp / Getty Images / iStock

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select Trust and mistrust in primary care from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.