Surgical Complications Diminish Patient Trust, but Communication Can Help

Although all patients who experienced complications following colorectal cancer surgery reported decreased trust with their surgeons, those who reported poor communication had significantly lower trust than those who reported strong communication, according to survey results published in the May 2014 Surgery. The authors surveyed 622 patients, of whom 25% stated they experienced postoperative complications. While 81% of the patients who did not experience complications stated that they had high trust in their surgeons, only 73% of patients with complications made the same statement.