In Brief

Understanding Healing Relationships in Primary Care

John G. Scott , and colleagues

Background There are few systematic studies about the experience of healing and how it occurs between clinicians and patients. This study set out to create a model that identifies how healing relationships are developed and maintained.

What This Study Found Patients and clinicians define healing as being cured when possible, reducing suffering when cure is not possible, and finding meaning beyond the illness experience. Clinicians help foster healing relationships by creating an emotional, nonjudgmental bond with patients; increasing patients' power; and showing a commitment to caring for patients over time. For patients, these processes can result in trust, hope, and a sense of being known. Clinicians can facilitate healing through self-confidence, emotional self-management, mindfulness, and clinical knowledge.

Implications

• Clinician-patient healing relationships have an identifiable structure and can lead to important patient-centered results.
• This model may apply to a range of healing relationships, not just relationships between patients and clinicians.
• Healing relationships seem to have an effect on both patients and clinicians.