Narrative Medicine as an Opportunity to Humanize Healthcare in a Post-Pandemic Reality

Abstract

Purpose: This article aims to present the concept of narrative medicine as an opportunity for the health care system to humanize it in the context of current and future pandemic conditions. Design/Methodology/Approach: The article consists of three parts. The first one covers the definitions of narrative medicine and its other terms. The second part of the study deals with the concept of narrative in medicine. It emphasizes the importance of telling the patient's and doctor's stories to build a new relationship of significant importance for the treatment process. The third part of the article focuses on the values and principles of narrative medicine as critical determinants of the narrative approach to the doctor-patient relationship. Findings: Narrative medicine treats the patient holistically as a person, not as a set of symptoms, by listening deeply, sharing understanding and empathy, and recognizing a patient's fears, emotions, and feelings related to their disease. The concept of narrative in medicine is key to ensuring a higher standard of health care and improving adherence to policies and procedures in the treatment process. Practical Implications: Every healthcare professional should practice listening and providing attention, representation, and affiliation as wise and humane values at every stage of the treatment process. The concept of narrative should be promoted as an innovative and effective way of stimulating the professional development of medical students by teaching them to approach patients' experiences with the disease with greater understanding and compassion. Originality/Value: The approach to the concept of narrative medicine, based on scientific publications and information from Internet sources, takes into account current reports in this area and enriches the recent scientific achievements in the context of an innovative approach to the treatment process, taking into account the narrative of the disease.

The role of patients’ stories in medicine: a systematic scoping review

“…• Enhanced learning of empathy [111,125,127,128,135,138,145,149,150,[152][153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166] • Improved ability to understand, interpret, and engage with others [11,19,111,114,135,155,[167][168][169][170][171][172][173] • Enhanced patient-centred care [111] • Enhanced building of cultural sensitivity and contextual considerations [114,124,130,136,140,143,170,[173][174][175][176]…”