The Role of Mindful Communication in Patient Care

EDITOR'S NOTE: Special thanks to Kate Leatherby for writing today's blog post. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. 

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You are probably aware that some of the most important forms of communication are non-verbal. Shared cues between people, facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, and even our posture communicate important information to those around us.  Recent research shows that mindfulness and compassion-based communication strategies can improve communication between patients and healthcare practitioners, which is one of the most important components to enhancing the patient experience.  

With that in mind, I would like to take you on a journey. I want you to go back to a memory when you were treating a patient during a time sensitive emergency, such as a patient experiencing a STEMI or stroke.  Step outside of your perspective for a moment and visualize that scene from the patient's point of view. Think about your non-verbal communication. What does your posture look like? Do your muscles feel tense? Do your facial expressions communicate concern or a sense of urgency? What is the tone of your voice when you communicate with your colleagues? When you give a hand-off report? Are there family members around? What do the non-verbal cues of the patient and their loved ones tell you? 

I now encourage you to pause, take some deep breaths and reflect for a couple of minutes on the questions I posed. Read the energy in the room, and ask yourself how you contribute to that energy by the way in which you communicate. Once you have a good feel for the situation, come back here and we can continue.

Now that you have taken a few minutes to reflect on the situation, did you learn something about that interaction that you may not have previously been aware of? As practitioners, it is important that we self reflect on our interactions with patients so that we can work to enhance the way we communicate. I remember as a paramedic in training, my preceptor told me that patients and family members won’t recall the exact treatments you administer, but the one thing they WILL remember is how you made them feel.  So treat the patient how you would like to be treated or how you would like a loved one to be treated.  We’ve all heard similar advice right?

It’s easy to lose sight of this simple concept though, because the patient might be the 100^th STEMI patient you treated. But, this is that patient’s first STEMI, it’s happening to them, and there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding their emergency. A lot of medical jargon being thrown around, and a sense of urgency in the air. Cultivating mindful communication practices allow us to let kindness and compassion take center stage. We take a breath, and remember that while we manage these types of situations regularly, this is a very extraordinary and unique experience for our patient. When we are mindful of our communication, we can create an environment for the patient that is more positive and conducive to healing. This very simple practice, that doesn’t cost us additional time or money, can have a significant impact on the overall patient experience. 

So, my fellow health care providers, during your next patient encounter I urge you to think about how you are communicating. Think about not only the verbal, but non-verbal cues.  We can always do better at enhancing the experience for those we serve. It's about people.