How can you measure humanistic care? The Gold Foundation and Medallia, a market leader in patient experience and a Gold Corporate Council member, have created a groundbreaking new tool to identify humanistic behaviors that can build trust between patients and clinicians.
This Medallia Gold Humanism Trust Tool is a 6-item scale that asks patients to reflect on whether the clinician:
- patiently addressed any questions and concerns
- asked about overall health and health-related goals
- asked about thoughts and opinions during the appointment
- offered an opportunity to follow up after the appointment
- was fully present
- showed genuine concern for the patient
What is noteworthy about this tool is that it measures behaviors, rather than general impressions, which is easier for patient recall and for guiding clinicians with actionable feedback.
The Medallia Gold Humanism Trust Tool has been used at UAB Medicine, one of the largest health systems in the United States. A study published in The Journal of Patient Experience of more than 1,000 patients who completed the Medallia Gold Humanism Trust Tool questions found that demonstrating concern was the strongest predictor of patient satisfaction.
“Patients who perceived their clinician as demonstrating genuine concern were 14.5 times more likely to report high satisfaction with their care (P < .001). Other significant predictors included addressing patient questions (OR = 3.9, P = .001) and being fully present during the encounter (OR = 2.7, P = .020).”
The study concluded: “The significance of these findings lies in their practical application. While broad organizational strategies remain important, this research suggests that small, consistent clinician behaviors can meaningfully influence trust and satisfaction. Even a single behavior—such as taking time to address patient questions—was associated with a measurable improvement in patient-reported experience. These findings support the view that trust is not only a systemic priority, but a moment-to-moment opportunity embedded within each clinical encounter.”
Read the study: Measuring the Impact of Humanistic Care: A Six-Item Scale to Enhance Patient Trust.
Learn more in this article on the background of the tool.
Interested in implementing the Medallia Gold Humanism Trust Tool in your office, hospital or other healthcare setting? Fill out the form below, and a Gold team member will reach out.