Abstract
This study aims to assess parental perceptions of physician mindfulness in their daily practice in the Indian context. After conducting an in-depth analysis of the existing publications, literature, physicians’ mindfulness was assessed by administering the MAAS questionnaire, and parental perceptions were evaluated using the 21-item general communication subscale of the Personal Processes of Care Instrument. The MAAS was selected for its extensive use and validated efficacy in measuring mindfulness, particularly on moment-to-moment awareness of self-related experiences. This study involved 40 paediatricians and 40 parents, sampled conveniently, to assess internal consistency, covariate analysis, and descriptive statistics. Mindfulness was analysed via chi-square tests, while parental perceptions were examined through t-tests; both executed using Microsoft Excel 2011. Our analysis revealed that paediatricians, regardless of age or gender, demonstrated mindfulness. From the parents’ perspective, there are significant areas for improvement, particularly in the physicians’ explanations of diagnosis, medications, and responsiveness to parents’ concerns. Additionally, addressing disrespectful behaviour by clinic assistants toward the parents emerged as a primary concern, highlighting the need for efforts toward improvement. Our research underscores the critical importance of mindfulness in paediatric practice and identifies key areas for improvement to enhance trust in physician-patient-centred disease management. It scrutinized the effects of physicians’ mindfulness on parental satisfaction during their child’s medical condition consultations. The findings have further deepened our comprehension of mindfulness’s pivotal role and impact on well-being, ultimately seeking to expedite the healing process among children while nurturing positive engagements with physicians and clinic staff.
Keywords: Mindfulness, Paediatrician’s Behaviour, Parents, Satisfaction.