The Article in Brief

Patients who have a long-term, trusting relationship with their doctor are more likely than other patients to be satisfied with the doctor. There is not yet evidence to answer questions about “cause and effect,” however. For example, we do not know whether long-term, trusting relationships cause patients to be satisfied, whether being satisfied causes patients to establish long-term relationships, or whether the relationship and level of satisfaction influence each other. More research and new ways of studying this topic are needed to learn more about these connections.