Hi everyone!
I will be updating this blog with my experience of patient and physician interactions on a weekly basis, but for now, here is a quick introduction to what my senior project on narrative medicine will entail.
Before I discuss the specifics of my study, let me address the big question: What even is "narrative medicine"? Founded by Dr. Rita Charon of Columbia University, narrative medicine is an effort to re-humanize medicine by integrating storytelling into clinical practices. Recent studies show that the therapeutic process of forming a bond with a physician, through open conversation of one's background and emotions, can improve patient health. Psychologists have found that narrating an experience allows the patient to voice a disruption and smoothly find its place alongside all other life events.
As someone who is passionate about medicine and the process of storytelling through creative writing, narrative medicine is the perfect discipline for me to combine my interests.
As such, the research questions for my investigation are:
1. How does storytelling impact the physical health of patients?
1. How does storytelling impact the physical health of patients?
2. How does storytelling impact the relationship between a patient and her doctor?
In order to collect data for this study, I will be developing a scoring scale to measure both qualitative and quantitative responses from patients regarding their experience of sharing a piece of their life story with their respective physicians. Before giving out this survey in a clinical setting, I will be collaborating with Dr. Hartmark Hill to complete an Institutional Review Board (IRB) application to ensure that all questions adhere to ethical guidelines when using human subjects for research.
I'm excited to spend my time at the SHOW Clinic to survey patients and participate in projects such as Humans of Show, as well as at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to perform data analysis and literature research.
Current health practices are so focused on treating patients by prescribing drugs or invasive procedures, that the emotional value of the patient is being sacrificed. In today's fast-paced society, medical technology and antibiotics are advancing, but these are only curing the superficial health of a patient. Sharing a story is such a simple thing to add to health practices, and if it can make such a large impact on health and relationships, it can serve as a breakthrough in non-invasive treatments.
Once I begin my research, I will be back with some more in-depth information, pictures, and potentially excerpts from patient narratives, so please check in every week! Thanks for reading!
Anivarya
Current health practices are so focused on treating patients by prescribing drugs or invasive procedures, that the emotional value of the patient is being sacrificed. In today's fast-paced society, medical technology and antibiotics are advancing, but these are only curing the superficial health of a patient. Sharing a story is such a simple thing to add to health practices, and if it can make such a large impact on health and relationships, it can serve as a breakthrough in non-invasive treatments.
Once I begin my research, I will be back with some more in-depth information, pictures, and potentially excerpts from patient narratives, so please check in every week! Thanks for reading!
Anivarya
