title: Improving Communication between Physicians and Their Patients through Mindfulness and Compassion-Based Strategies: A Narrative Review.
abstract: Communication between physicians and patients is a key pillar of psychosocial support for enhancing the healing process of patients and for increasing their well-being and quality of life. Physicians and other health professionals might benefit from interventions that increase their self-care, awareness, compassion, and other-focused concern, and reduce the chances of distress and burnout. There is substantial evidence for the contribution of different management strategies to achieve these aims. The goal of this article is to review the potential effect of mindfulness and compassion-based strategies for the improvement of physician-patient interactions. The acquisition of the necessary skills by physicians requires continuous education. Future research will be useful for identifying more evidence on the cost-effectiveness of this type of intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Leioa 48940, Spain. alberto.amutio@ehu.eus.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amutio-Kareaga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Miguel Servet University Hospital, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain. jgarcamp@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: García-Campayo
authors.affiliation: Department of Evolutionary and Educational Psychology, University of Granada, Melilla 52071, Spain. lcpastor@ugr.es.
authors.forename: Luis Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Delgado
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain. daniel.hermosilla@ehu.eus.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hermosilla
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Psychology and Methodology of the Behavioral Sciences, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Donostia-San Sebastian 20018, Spain. cristinamtk@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martínez-Taboada
keywords: communication; mindfulness and compassion; physician-patient relations; psychosocial support; well-being