Diagnosing death: What's trust got to do with it?
Physicians licensed to practice medicine have enjoyed socially endorsed, legally underwritten status-trust to a remarkable degree. However, such trust is not endorsed equally by all segments of American society, most notably, by African Americans. Because physicians underappreciate this fact, they fail to understand how routine medical behavior can disproportionately exacerbate African Americans' pre-existing suspicions. On the other hand, overinterpretation of this fact needlessly risks despair. A theory of trust provides guidance in resolving clinical conflicts.