Table 1.

Example questionnaire items that assess aspects of trust in health system²⁴

	Example questionnaire items	Surveyed population	Object of trust
Confidence in service	“Despite my unfamiliarity with doctors, nurses, and hospitals, I feel very confident about my treatment.”	Elderly US population with chronic disease26	Treatment
	“If you or your child is very sick tomorrow, can you get the health care you need?”	General household sample, rural Liberia4	Healthcare system
Competence	“Patients receive high quality medical care from the Health Care System”	African American general sample, Philadelphia,USA27	Healthcare system
	“I think my doctor may not refer me to a specialist when needed”	General national population,USA28	Physicians
	“How well is the government doing in providing health care?”	General household sample, rural Liberia4	Government
Honesty and integrity	“If a mistake were made in my health care, the health care system would try to hide it from me.”	General population (jurors waiting at Municipal Court of Philadelphia)29	Healthcare system
	“Patients have sometimes been deceived or misled at hospitals”	Random sample of residents with heart conditions in Baltimore City, USA30	Hospitals
	“Medical decisions are influenced by how much money [my provider] can make”	General population: villagers with and without insurance, Cambodia31	Healthcare providers