Defining Clinical Attunement: A Ubiquitous But Undertheorized Aspect of Palliative Care.

TitleDefining Clinical Attunement: A Ubiquitous But Undertheorized Aspect of Palliative Care.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsJacobsen J, Brenner KO, Shalev D, Rosenberg LB, Jackson VA
JournalJ Palliat Med
Volume24
Issue12
Pagination1757-1761
Date Published2021 Dec
ISSN1557-7740
KeywordsHospice and Palliative Care Nursing, Humans, Neoplasms, Palliative Care
Abstract

Attunement, the process of understanding and responding to another's spoken and unspoken needs, is a fundamental concept of human development and the basis of meaningful relationships. To specialize the concept of attunement for palliative care, this article introduces clinical attunement. This term accounts for how palliative care clinicians must repeatedly balance patients' readiness to talk about the future with the cadence of the illness and need for medical decision making. Using the case of Gloria, an example patient living with cancer, this article discusses three skills to foster clinical attunement: asking, repairing disconnections, and offering containment. It is the fourth in a series exploring the psychological elements of palliative care.

DOI10.1089/jpm.2021.0442
Alternate JournalJ Palliat Med
PubMed ID34714128