The language of care: narrative medicine

Abstract

Narrative medicine is based on authentic stories of illness, health and well-being and not on literary artefacts, which instead belong to the world of humanities for health. Why study narratives in the world of healthcare? The Authors answer this question by stating that the narrative medicine gives us back how the sick person lives, in compliance with the holistic model of care (biological, psychological, social and spiritual) proposed by the WHO. The Authors highlight three Areas of narrative medicine application: a. clinical practice, where it facilitates understanding between doctor and patient and guide towards a holistic approach to care, aimed at the search for well-being; b. training: the institution for some years in some American, Canadian and European universities (including Italian ones), of training courses in narrative medicine and medical humanities overcomes the technicality of the biomedical model and build a professionalism that possesses not only technical skills, but also relational skills. c. research, where creates a series of opportunities, that can generate new hypotheses and helping to define patient-centered guidelines. In conclusion, narrative medicine is an operation of listening and observation that improves the relationship through empathy and is able to contribute, through research, to the evolution of clinical, care, therapeutic, psychological, social, spiritual aspects, promoting the well-being of patients, their loved ones and their caregivers