THE INFLUENCE OF NARRATIVE MEDICINE TECHNIQUES ON THE ROLES OF POTENTIAL PATIENT AND FUTURE CAREGIVER – A PILOT STUDY

Authors

  • Cecilia Beecher Martins ULICES - University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3206-5856
  • Antonio Manuel Duarte Faculty of Psychology of the University of Lisbon (
  • Cristina Perdigão Marques
  • Filipe Mesquita ULICES - SHARE Project & Faculty of Psychology University of Lisbon

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25112/rco.v2i0.2108

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The emergent field of the Medical Humanities defends the introduction of training in the humanities in healthcare contexts. Considering Narrative Medicine as one of the areas of the Medical Humanities, a pilot study was conducted with a group of 9 students (Medical and Humanities) to gain some insight as to if/how training in Narrative Medicine techniques (namely, close reading of and creative/reflective writing on literary narratives on the thematics of health) could promote changes in participants’ perceptions of their potential roles as patients or caregivers. Alterations were assessed using semi-structured, focus-group interviews carried out after training. Qualitative thematic analysis was used to examine interview responses. The interviews demonstrated that participants perceived that the training had enhanced their capacity to fulfill their patient and caregiver roles. Potential patients expressed a desire to interact more fully and efficiently in healthcare relationships and future healthcare professionals expressed a desire to attend their patients more comprehensively. Moreover, participants’ responses spoke to the potential benefits of using Narrative Medicine literary analysis techniques with mixed groups. The findings of this study are presented within the context of contemporary theories on the Medical Humanities and Health Humanities.
Keywords: Narrative Medicine. Medical Humanities. Close reading. Reflective writing.

 

RESUMO
O campo emergente das Humanidades Médicas defende a introdução de formação nas humanidades nos contextos da saúde. Considerando-se a Medicina Narrativa uma das áreas das Humanidades Médicas, foi realizado um estudo piloto com um grupo de 9 estudantes de Medicina e Humanidades, de modo a explorar como o treino em técnicas de Medicina Narrativa (i.e., a leitura cerrada e a escrita reflexiva de narrativas literárias na temática da saúde) pode promover mudanças nos seus potenciais papéis de paciente ou cuidador. Após o treino foram realizadas entrevistas de grupo de foco para explorar a percepção dos participantes sobre as mudanças decorrentes daquele treino nos seus potenciais papéis de paciente ou cuidador. As respostas às entrevistas foram sujeitas a uma análise de conteúdo temática, tendo revelado que os participantes percepcionaram que o treino potenciou as suas capacidades de desempenho dos seus papeis de paciente e cuidador. As respostas suportam os benefícios potenciais das técnicas de análise literária da Medicina Narrativa com grupos compostos por profissionais de saúde e pacientes, sugerindo que isso pode ajudar os profissionais de saúde a atender melhor aos seus pacientes, mas também que pode permitir que os próprios pacientes participem de maneira mais completa e eficiente na relação de cuidado. Os resultados são interpretados no contexto das teorias contemporâneas das Humanidades Médicas e das Humanidades da Saúde.
Palavras-chave: Medicina Narrativa. Humanidades Médicas. Leitura cerrada. Escrita reflexiva.

Author Biographies

Cecilia Beecher Martins, ULICES - University of Lisbon Centre for English Studies

Cecilia Beecher Martins, PhD in Literature & Culture Studies is Invited Assistant Professor at the School of Arts & Humanities of the University of Lisbon. She is Researcher at ULICES (University of Lisbon, Centre for English Studies). She has been a member of the Medical Humanities Research Group at ULICES since its foundation in 2009 and currently is a member of its FCT funded SHARE (Saúde e Humanidades Atuando em Rede) project. She has co-edited books and volumes of academic journals on narrative medicine and film studies as well as publishing chapters and articles on film studies, literary analysis and narrative medicine.

Antonio Manuel Duarte, Faculty of Psychology of the University of Lisbon (

António Manuel Duarte, PhD in Psychology, is Assistant Professor and Researcher at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Lisbon (FPUL). He is a member of a member of the Medical Humanities Research Group at ULICES and its FCT funded SHARE (Saúde e Humanidades Atuando em Rede) project, as well as other research groups with activities in the field of Educational Psychology and Psychology of Art. He coordinates the "Research Program in Conceptions of & Approaches to Learning” and the “Psychology of Art Studies” at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon. He has authored and edited books, chapters and articles in national and international scientific journals and is a member of the Board of Editors of several journals. He has participated in several research projects funded by the European Commission, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. He was a UNESCO consultant and also a consultant for the Ibero-American States Organization in the area of education. He has coordinated several Master, PhD and Post-Doc. research projects.

Cristina Perdigão Marques

Cristina Perdigão Marques, MSc in Psychology, was a MSc student and Researcher at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon. Her Master thesis focused on Narrative Medicine. She is also a member the "Research Program in Conceptions of & Approaches to Learning” and the “Area of Studies in Psychology of Art” at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, with research activities in the field of Educational Psychology and Psychology of Art.

Filipe Mesquita, ULICES - SHARE Project & Faculty of Psychology University of Lisbon

Filipe Mesquita, MSc in Psychology, is a PhD student at the Faculty of Psychology University of Lisbon. He is a Researcher at the University of Lisbon, Faculty of Psychology and the Centre for English Studies (ULICES) He is currently a Post-Graduate grantee on the Medical Humanities Research Project SHARE project based at ULICES. His Master and PhD thesis focus on the relationship between students’ learning and their participation in activities parallel to study. He is a member of the "Research Program in Conceptions of & Approaches to Learning” and the “Area of Studies in Psychology of Art” at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon, with research activities in the field of Educational Psychology and Psychology of Art. He also participated in FOPRAMAR, a research project in education funded by the European Commission.

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Published

2020-05-28

How to Cite

Martins, C. B., Duarte, A. M., Marques, C. P., & Mesquita, F. (2020). THE INFLUENCE OF NARRATIVE MEDICINE TECHNIQUES ON THE ROLES OF POTENTIAL PATIENT AND FUTURE CAREGIVER – A PILOT STUDY. Revista Conhecimento Online, 2, 03–16. https://doi.org/10.25112/rco.v2i0.2108

Issue

Vol. 2 (2020): Maio / Agosto - A diversidade em Saúde

Section

Artigos Livres

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