In trying to improve clinician communication skills, we have often heard clinicians at every level admonished to "use silence," as if refraining from talking will improve dialogue. Yet we have also noticed that this "just do it," behavior-focused "use" of silence creates a new, different problem: the clinician looks uncomfortable using silence, and worse, generates a palpable atmosphere of...
The hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) experience is emotionally and physically stressful for cancer patients who undergo this procedure. Mindfulness-based interventions have been studied in patients with various diagnoses, including cancer, although minimal work has applied this intervention to hospitalized patients. Use of mindfulness meditation has potential to provide HSCT patients...
The purpose of this article is to (1) provide a comprehensive over view and discussion of mindfulness meditation and its clinical applicability in oncology and (2) report and critically evaluate the existing and emerging research on mindfulness meditation as an intervention for cancer patients. Using relevant keywords, a comprehensive search of MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and Ovid was completed along...
Feasibility studies of complementary therapies are useful and important not only to test and evaluate the potential effectiveness of an intervention but also to refine and improve it prior to a subsequent study. A series of guided interviews were conducted with patients (n=19) undergoing stem cell/autologous bone marrow transplant (SC/ABMT) who were participating in a feasibility study of a...