Physicians and other health professionals who have undergone training in mindful practice experience significant improvements in measures of personal well-being, resilience, and the quality of interpersonal care they provide to patients and their families (see key references). A growing number of medical institutions and healthcare systems are using Mindful Practice interventions for enhancing resilience among physicians and other health professionals.
In 2009, we published a report showing that practitioners participating in Mindful Practice programs show significant improvements in mindfulness, reduction in burnout, decrease in negative mood states, and enhancement of well-being and resilience (Krasner MS et al, JAMA 2009). These changes are associated with increased ability to experience and communicate empathy. Participants tend to adopt a more psychosocial orientation to care, in which their relationships with patients are richer, deeper, and more effective. They report a greater sense of purpose, community, and skill navigating the most challenging aspects of their practice (Beckman HB et al. Acad Med 2012).