RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 A Multicenter Study of Physician Mindfulness and Health Care Quality JF The Annals of Family Medicine JO Ann Fam Med FD American Academy of Family Physicians SP 421 OP 428 DO 10.1370/afm.1507 VO 11 IS 5 A1 Beach, Mary Catherine A1 Roter, Debra A1 Korthuis, P. Todd A1 Epstein, Ronald M. A1 Sharp, Victoria A1 Ratanawongsa, Neda A1 Cohn, Jonathon A1 Eggly, Susan A1 Sankar, Andrea A1 Moore, Richard D. A1 Saha, Somnath YR 2013 UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/11/5/421.abstract AB PURPOSE Mindfulness (ie, purposeful and nonjudgmental attentiveness to one’s own experience, thoughts, and feelings) is associated with physician well-being. We sought to assess whether clinician self-rated mindfulness is associated with the quality of patient care. METHODS We conducted an observational study of 45 clinicians (34 physicians, 8 nurse practitioners, and 3 physician assistants) caring for patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) who completed the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and 437 HIV-infected patients at 4 HIV specialty clinic sites across the United States. We measured patient-clinician communication quality with audio-recorded encounters coded using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS) and patient ratings of care. RESULTS In adjusted analyses comparing clinicians with highest and lowest tertile mindfulness scores, patient visits with high-mindfulness clinicians were more likely to be characterized by a patient-centered pattern of communication (adjusted odds ratio of a patient-centered visit was 4.14; 95% CI, 1.58–10.86), in which both patients and clinicians engaged in more rapport building and discussion of psychosocial issues. Clinicians with high-mindfulness scores also displayed more positive emotional tone with patients (adjusted β = 1.17; 95% CI, 0.46–1.9). Patients were more likely to give high ratings on clinician communication (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR] = 1.48; 95% CI, 1.17–1.86) and to report high overall satisfaction (APR = 1.45; 95 CI, 1.15–1.84) with high-mindfulness clinicians. There was no association between clinician mindfulness and the amount of conversation about biomedical issues. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians rating themselves as more mindful engage in more patient-centered communication and have more satisfied patients. Interventions should determine whether improving clinician mindfulness can also improve patient health outcomes.