Mindfulness in healthcare professionals and medical education.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to review the literature on the implementation of mindfulness in healthcare professionals and medical students to assess its effects on well-being and patient care.
Results Summary
Mindfulness training improved mood perception, reduced stress, and enhanced response to stimuli, benefiting healthcare professionals' well-being and empathy. However, limitations included small participant numbers, high dropout rates, and discontinuation of practice post-intervention.
Population
Healthcare professionals (doctors, nurses) and medical students.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mindfulness training | increase | mood perception | - | better | leads to | #1 |
Mindfulness training | decrease | stress perception | - | lower | leads to | #2 |
Mindfulness training | increase | responding to stimuli | - | more effectively | leads to | #3 |
Mindfulness meditation | decrease | stress | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | - | has a beneficial effect on | #4 |
Mindfulness meditation | decrease | depression | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | - | has a beneficial effect on | #5 |
Mindfulness meditation | decrease | burnout | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | - | has a beneficial effect on | #6 |
Mindfulness meditation | increase | well-being | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | - | has a beneficial effect on | #7 |
Mindfulness meditation | increase | empathy | doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers | - | has a beneficial effect on | #8 |
Mindfulness | increase | well-being | healthcare professionals | - | improving | #9 |
Mindfulness | increase | quality of care | healthcare professionals | - | improving | #10 |
Healthcare professionals are exposed not only to the ubiquitous stress, but also to the culture of perfectionism. Therefore, they need tools to achieve a balance between work and rest in order to effectively help their patients. The study objective is a review of the literature on the implementation of mindfulness in healthcare professionals and medical students. The authors searched the literature in PubMed and Google Scholar databases for publications about "mindfulness" in "healthcare professionals" and "medical students." The search included manuscripts published to July 31, 2019. Mindfulness is a process of intentional paying attention to experiencing the present moment with curiosity, openness and acceptance of each experience without judgment. Mindfulness training leads to a better mood perception, lower stress perception, and responding to stimuli more effectively. All these features can have a potentially positive effect on healthcare service. The paper describes methods of intervention as well as their effects, which may be useful both in maintaining the well-being of healthcare professionals and in patient care. Mindfulness meditation has a beneficial effect on stress, depression, burnout, well-being and empathy among doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers. However, the method has a number of limitations, including a small number of participants, a high dropout rate in the intervention group and, above all, ceasing to practice mindfulness in the longer term after the course termination. Mindfulness can be widely implemented by healthcare professionals, thus improving their well-being and the quality of care they provide. Further standard scientific research is needed to confirm this impact. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2021;34(1):1-14.