Changing Mindsets to Enhance Treatment Effectiveness.

Duringthepast fewdecades,significantbiomedicaladvances have increased diagnostic and treatment effectiveness.Recentresearchfrompsychologyprovidesaspecialopportunitytoaddvaluetothetraditionalcornerstone ofmedicine: the patient-clinician relationship. What is it about the conversation between patient and physician that gives it therapeutic value? At the most basic level, physicians and other clinicians gather informationandcommunicatediseaseandtreatment information. At an emotional level, the conversation can evoke a sense of mutual trust, empathy, support, and reassurance.ThisViewpointdiscusses researchonmindsets,acriticalfeatureoftheconversationbetweenpatients andphysiciansbecauseof theirability todrivemotivation and alter physiology to enhance clinical outcomes.