STORYTELLING IN MEDICINE: A JOURNEY THROUGH NARRATIVE MEDICINE

STORYTELLING IN MEDICINE: A JOURNEY THROUGH NARRATIVE MEDICINE

For people seeking a more satisfying healthcare experience, narrative medicine may be the answer. Narrative medicine, introduced by Rita Charon in 2001, is a clinical framework that uses patients' stories to improve healthcare quality. It aims to build empathy in healthcare providers by organizing patient experiences into a history, enabling better understanding of illness causes. This approach aims to improve communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and patients, bridging the gap between the humanities and sciences. By recognizing and using an individual's health story, narrative medicine can enhance the overall healthcare experience.

Story-telling is a form of narrative medicine that can integrate health care provider and practitioner’s understanding of clinical signs, symptoms, laboratory findings, and diagnosis of a disease in a more holistic way with patients and raise awareness about some of most pressing health problems in various public forums. There is a reason TED talks are popular due to their short, compelling stories, which can help patients and their caregivers’ overcome obstacles in complex hospital environments and improve coping mechanisms during vulnerable stages of illness. Scientific explanations explain how storytelling affects us by releasing neurochemical oxytocin, which is released when we are trusted or shown kindness, and motivating cooperation by enhancing empathy and the ability to experience others' emotions.

Healthcare is embracing storytelling as a way to engage patients and build trust. Sharing patient stories allows physicians to connect with potential patients on a personal level, showcasing their expertise and commitment to patient care. Information management is handled collaboratively through storytelling, which allows doctors to explore patients' feelings and listen to their emotions. By asking the right questions and using empathy, doctors can better understand which data to use for diagnoses and medical history, while deepening their knowledge of the patient in an environment that stimulates trust and encourages communication.

Any doctor will tell you that a precise patient history is often enough to formulate a hypothesis. This is why as early as the starting year in medical college, this important skill should be introduced in the academic curriculum. As a medical student, one may still need to learn many things about patient management, but the most important skill that should have been mastered is the art of taking an accurate case history.