Enhancing patient-provider relationships with a whole person oriented healing pathway model.

OBJECTIVE

This paper identifies provider characteristics, across medical specialties, that facilitate a healing pathway model for patients.

DESIGN

With a phenomenological approach, a prospective descriptive study design was used to conduct in-depth semi-structured focus groups and individual interviews, which elicited experiences facilitating healing. Thematic content analysis methods were used to organize and analyze data findings within the context of a healing pathway model.

SETTING

Data were collected in three geographically diverse areas representing various fields of practice in conventional and complementary and integrative health (CIH).

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Snowball sampling was used to collect data from 52 providers from diverse healthcare settings.

RESULTS

As a group, participants described three healing domains, including (1) Provider Approach for Facilitating Healing; (2) Foundations of a Healing Pathway; and (3) Observation of Healing Outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

As the dynamics of healthcare continue to become more complex, and consumeristic in nature, constructs emerge across disciplines reflecting an interpersonal approach to facilitate healing. These emergent constructs informed the development of a conceptually driven healing pathway model to identify points of intervening and informing how to leverage patient-provider relationships to facilitate healing.