When a patient needs to see a doctor, the visit might include an interchange of symptoms, that leads to a diagnosis and recommendation for treatment or testing. But more than 20 years ago, Dr Rita Charon says she recognized the importance of hearing the patient’s story, to effectively treat the whole person. Charon is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University and founded the practice known as Narrative Medicine.
“Narrative Medicine is a way of practicing as a clinician who knows how to listen to what patients tell them. So, it’s particular training for doctors, nurses, social workers in skill to understand the words and the gestures and the silences of what patients convey to us about their illness,” explained Charon.
While there are obstacles, like time constraints people in the medical profession face when it comes to practicing Narrative Medicine there are medical facilities like UK HealthCare incorporating the approach.
