Health care worker trust in the health care system, pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review protocol.

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify the team, leadership, and organizational characteristics, behaviors, and traits that have created or reduced health care worker trust in the health care system, pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic; and to categorize the findings using the health care ecosystem as a descriptive framework (ie, teams, leadership, organizations, systems).

Introduction: Trusting relationships and trustworthy organizational cultures promote employee well-being, satisfaction, and retention. High levels of trust are associated with ethical and just workplaces as well as high-functioning organizations with enhanced patient experiences. Emerging trust research in a post-pandemic climate correlates high health care worker trust with higher levels of patient trust, suggesting contributions to healthier workplaces and improved patient outcomes.

Inclusion criteria: The population is health care workers, the concept is trust, and the context is the health care system. We will consider all health care workers in any health care setting, in any country, or position. All relevant published and unpublished studies will be considered, with no date or language limitations, including all primary studies, gray literature, and textual papers.

Methods: This review will foll ow the JBI methodology for scoping reviews, including the JBI approach to critical appraisal, study selection, data extraction and data synthesis. Two reviewers will independently extract data from selected papers using a standardized tool modified for the review. Results will be presented using frequency tables, accompanied by a narrative summary.