Narrative Medicine Methods Applied to Film in Healthcare Education

Abstract

Film is a popular medium used in healthcare education today. It is found to be especially effective when accompanied with exercises based on humanities practices that encourage reflection. However, this approach can be difficult to achieve. The author considers the close reading and reflective writing exercises of narrative medicine and offers a highly functional humanities-based orientation that can be used easily in healthcare education. But can the same close reading techniques be used to work with film and literature? Adaptation studies imply some adjustments might be necessary. Moreover, while we have lived our lives surrounded by movies, little attention is paid to understanding their visual language. Therefore, the author will look at close reading techniques applied to film and combine these with narrative medicine methods to suggest humanities-based reflective methodologies for working with film in healthcare education.

A Literature Review on Narrative Medicine Education

“…Narrative medicine education is promising for enhancing healthcare outcomes and patient satisfaction (Martins, 2023). The incorporation of patient experiences into training fosters empathy, improves attitudes towards underserved populations, and enhances the quality of care provided by healthcare professionals.…”