Narrative, Compassion, and Counter Stories

Abstract

Critical race theory (CRT) tools of evaluating stock stories and counter stories can help clinicians and researchers illuminate experiences of those at the margins in order to gain insights into the normalized injustices that are hidden from view in a dominant narrative. To do this work requires vigilance and intentionality. Here, CRT is applied to a patient case involving overevaluation for nonaccidental trauma (NAT) to describe the impact on patient care and experience of competing perspectives. CRT is also applied to assess the literature on the harms of inequities in NAT evaluations.