Using art for the development of teamwork and communication skills among health professionals: A literature review

Abstract

Background: In healthcare, interpersonal skills such as teamwork and communication are essential for safe, high-quality, person-centered care. Methods: Four reference databases were searched using relevant keyword combinations in order to examine how the visual and performing arts have been used to facilitate the development of teamwork and communication skills among health professionals and what the outcomes were. Reference list checking was also conducted in order to identify other relevant articles not captured in the initial search strategy. Results: Many of the studies that we reviewed revealed that after participation in the arts, participants felt positively about the experience, had a greater awareness of the importance of teamwork and communication skills in their professional practice, and reported general improvements in these skills. Conclusions: While the initial results of this review seem promising, a concerted effort to conduct more methodologically sound studies on various art forms and their effect on the development of health professionals’ interpersonal skills is required.

Role of Art Education in Peace Building Efforts among Out‐of‐School Youth affected by Armed Conflict in Zamboanga City, Philippines

“…Results indicated that both intrapersonal and interpersonal skills were developed throughout their participation in various SUGPAT activities. Results of this current investigation support existing claims that visual and the performing arts provide therapeutic tools for social skills formation and development (Acai et al, ). They attributed their positive attitudinal changes when they created art forms and advocated for peace after being exposed to the content of the programme.…”

“…Substantial uses of art also include communication skills enhancement among children and young adults. Visual and the performing arts are seen as therapeutic tools in developing social skills (Acai, McQueen, McKinnon, & Sonnadara, ). Art increases visual thinking and learning too, especially in the context of social communication (Epp, ).…”

“…There is, however, a need to document how art enhances oneself as literatures have focused more on documenting the type of skills that were enhanced and not on the ways these skills have been put to use (Williams, ; Epp, ; Acai et al, ). Few literatures have also been found about the way Filipinos, especially in Zamboanga, have lived used art as a way to combat displacement (Baú, ).…”

The prism model: advancing a theory of practice for arts and humanities in medical education

“…Third, some of the most common ‘skills’ in records coded within the first epistemic function, such as communication, were also treated as more-than-just-skill in records coded with other functions. For example, communication was also the focus of some records using arts and humanities for the second function of ‘interaction, perspective taking and relational aims’ [ 32 , 33 ] and the third function of ‘personal growth and activism’ [ 34 , 35 ]. Therefore, we concluded that a typology of skills would offer, at best, an unstable, incomplete and oversimplified categorization of this rich literature.…”

Art And Exceptionality: Addressing Art Fear And Fear Of Difference In An Introductory Art Course

“…Research supports the impact that artistic participation has in other academic fields. For example, the arts have been used successfully to build teamwork and communication skills in health care professionals (Acai et al, 2017). Another study by Kinsella and Bidinosti (2016) showed how artistic activity was used for skill building in health professionals in the following areas: value awareness, professional application of creativity, reflective practice, self-awareness, and developing a professional identity.…”