Innovative Paradigms of Accompaniment in Healthcare: Humanizing Practices

Accompaniment within healthcare settings has drawn increasing attention over recent decades, becoming a subject of numerous scientific endeavors. Unlike conventional mentoring, coaching, and counseling, accompaniment offers a unique relational approach that intends to foster the comprehensive development of individuals. This novel perspective stems from an anthropological understanding of humans as inherently relational beings, suggesting a potential paradigm shift in healthcare culture.

This Research Topic aims to critically examine the necessity and efficacy of accompaniment in healthcare. Essential questions include its relevance, the evidence supporting its benefits for personal and professional well-being, and its concrete impacts across various sectors. Investigating these areas is crucial for advancing our understanding of accompaniment as a transformative force within healthcare environments.

To gather further insights in defining and implementing accompaniment in health-related contexts, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
• Definitions and boundaries of accompaniment in health settings.
• The role of accompaniment in healthcare management: challenges and best practices.
• Accompaniment’s impact on patient and family care across multiple disciplines, such as palliative care and oncology.
• Educational strategies and methodologies for accompaniment in health professional training.
• The significance of accompaniment in research, including its influence on the researcher-patient dynamic and its integration into clinical trials.

The types of manuscripts we are interested in are: Original research, innovation research, theoretical reflections, design of measurement tools, questionnaire design, accompaniment programs, innovation experiences and best practices.