Strengthening Patient Care through Training Students in Mindfulness as a Part of the Medical Curriculum

Abstract

Abstract Mindfulness clinical practice refers to the deliberate efforts to stay in the present moment while dealing with patients and not being judgmental. There is an immense need for health-care professionals to deliver an objective and compassionate response to their patients by demonstrating their genuine presence, better understanding, and empathy. Mindfulness practice by health-care professionals is linked with professional development and multiple benefits in patient care, and it is quite essential that medical students are trained in the same during their undergraduate period. This will essentially require systematic planning and collaboration between teachers, as exposure of mindfulness across the curriculum will play a defining role in facilitating the comprehensive development of medical students. In conclusion, acknowledging the multiple benefits of mindfulness to health-care professionals and improvement in the quality of patient care services, it is the need of the hour that every medical college or health-care establishment should take active interventions to plan and implement the same within their settings.