Patient-Centered Care: Strengthening Trust and Communication in Healthcare Relationships

123.8K

views

139

authors

24

articles

Patient-Centered Care: Strengthening Trust and Communication in Healthcare Relationships

123.8K

views

139

authors

24

articles

Editorial

08 May 2026

Editorial: Patient-centered care: strengthening trust and communication in healthcare relationships

1,788 views

0 citations

Editors

5

Kristen Miller

MedStar Health

Kelly Smith

University of Toronto

Yan Xiao

University of Texas at Arlington

Enid Montague

University of Toronto

Olga Catherina Damman

Amsterdam University Medical Center

Impact

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About

In the rapidly evolving landscape of healthcare, the relationship between patients and healthcare providers has become increasingly dynamic. Central to this evolving relationship are the concepts of trust, effective communication, shared decision-making, continuity of care, and empathy. Each of these elements plays a crucial role in ensuring that patients are supported, feel understood, and are actively involved in their own care.

This Research Topic seeks to explore the factors influencing healthcare professional-patient communication and highlight best practices, identify gaps, and propose innovative solutions to enhance the patient-healthcare professional relationship. We aim to gather comprehensive insights into how these factors contribute to improved health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and overall quality of care. We are particularly interested in contributions exploring:

• Trust in Healthcare: the factors that build or erode trust between patients and healthcare providers, including institutional trust, transparency, and the impact of digital health technologies, as well as policy, guidelines, and educational strategies to increase trustworthiness of institutions and health professionals.

• Professional-Patient Communication: communication strategies that that enhance understanding, patient satisfaction, and patient engagement in treatment plans, and professional development for incorporation of these strategies into practice. Includes verbal and non-verbal communication, cultural competence, digital communication, and the use of health literacy tools.

• Shared Decision Making: methodologies and frameworks that facilitate shared decision-making processes and the education of health workers for implementation, ensuring that patients' values and preferences are respected in joint care plans.

• Continuity of Care: the importance of continuous, coordinated care and its impact on patient outcomes, including the role of primary care teams, care transitions, and long-term patient-provider relationships.

• Empathy in Healthcare: the role of empathy in clinical practice, its impact on patient care experiences, and strategies and training to cultivate empathy among healthcare providers.

• Partnership with Patients: the role of patients as partners in their own care, including the co-design of healthcare services, patient-led research initiatives, and the impact of patient advisory councils.

• Technology for Communication: the influence of new technologies on communication strategies and trust in healthcare providers and systems, including technological literacy and comfort levels and data privacy concerns.

We welcome submissions from researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and healthcare policy experts dedicated to fostering a more patient-centred approach to healthcare. All article types are welcome.

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Editors

Kristen Miller

MedStar Health

Kelly Smith

University of Toronto

Yan Xiao

University of Texas at Arlington

Enid Montague

University of Toronto

Olga Catherina Damman

Amsterdam University Medical Center

Impact

123,780 Total views

94,093 Article views

22,057 Article downloads

7,630 Topic views

Published In

Frontiers in Medicine

Hematology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Healthcare Professions Education, Nephrology, Medical Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Respiratory Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine and Anesthesiology, Geriatric Medicine, Family Medicine and Primary Care, Regulatory Science, Precision Medicine, Ophthalmology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy, Hepatobiliary Diseases

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