Patient-Centered Care: Building Trust and Communication in Health Care Relationships

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

The purpose of this research topic is to explore the factors influencing communication between healthcare providers and patients, as well as highlight best practices, identify gaps, and propose innovative solutions to improve the patient-provider relationship. We strive to gather comprehensive information about how these factors contribute to improved health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and overall quality of care. We are particularly interested in research:

• Trust in healthcare: factors that build or break trust between patients and health care providers, including research on institutional trust, transparency, and the impact of digital health technologies.

• Communication between professional and patient: communication strategies that improve understanding, patient satisfaction, patient participation in treatment plans, including verbal and nonverbal communication, cultural competency, digital communication, and use of health literacy tools.

• Shared decision making: methodologies and structures that facilitate shared decision-making processes by ensuring that patients’ values ​​and preferences are respected in shared care plans.

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

• Empathy in healthcare: the role of empathy in clinical practice, its impact on the patient care experience and strategies for developing empathy among healthcare professionals.

• Partnership with patients: the role of patients as partners in their own care, including co-design of health services, patient-led research initiatives, and the influence of patient advisory boards.

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

We welcome submissions from researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and health policy experts seeking to promote a more patient-centered approach to health care. All article types are welcome.

Keywords: Patient-centered care, trust, communication, health outcomes, decision making, continuity, empathy, patient partners, telemedicine, patient engagement.

Important Note: All contributions to this research topic must fall within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to redirect an out-of-scope manuscript to a more appropriate section or journal at any stage of review.

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

The purpose of this research topic is to explore the factors influencing communication between healthcare providers and patients, as well as highlight best practices, identify gaps, and propose innovative solutions to improve the patient-provider relationship. We strive to gather comprehensive information about how these factors contribute to improved health outcomes, patient satisfaction, and overall quality of care. We are particularly interested in research:

• Trust in healthcare: factors that build or break trust between patients and health care providers, including research on institutional trust, transparency, and the impact of digital health technologies.

• Communication between professional and patient: communication strategies that improve understanding, patient satisfaction, patient participation in treatment plans, including verbal and nonverbal communication, cultural competency, digital communication, and use of health literacy tools.

• Shared decision making: methodologies and structures that facilitate shared decision-making processes by ensuring that patients’ values ​​and preferences are respected in shared care plans.

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

• Empathy in healthcare: the role of empathy in clinical practice, its impact on patient care experiences, and strategies for developing empathy among healthcare professionals.

• Partnership with patients: the role of patients as partners in their own care, including co-design of health services, patient-led research initiatives, and the influence of patient advisory boards.

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

We welcome submissions from researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and health policy experts seeking to promote a more patient-centered approach to health care. All article types are welcome.

Keywords: Patient-centered care, trust, communication, health outcomes, decision making, continuity, empathy, patient partners, telemedicine, patient engagement.

Important Note: All contributions to this research topic must fall within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to redirect an out-of-scope manuscript to a more appropriate section or journal at any stage of review.