Healing Words - Narrative medicine for a new doctor-patient relationship

The fifth lecture of the course Culture and Health - Healing Words will be held on Monday, 27 November 2023, at 6 pm in the East Campus multipurpose room. Rita Charon suggests that narrative medicine has the potential to shape a revolutionary future for healthcare by fostering genuine connections with patients and their families. Instead of treating patients as mere cases, doctors should cultivate the art of empathetic listening, building a solid rapport with their patients. This approach emphasises the importance of empathy and compassion in healthcare rather than just treating patients as medical problems to be solved.

Pietro Majno-Hurst, the discussant, will present his study titled "Knowing Each Other Better is Curing Better". The study involved patients who were preparing for major surgery and were given the opportunity to share a brief, structured biography of themselves. This had a positive impact on the trust in their relationship with their healthcare providers.

Speaker:
Rita Charon, Human Sciences Medicine and Ethics, Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY, USA 

Discussion with:
Pietro Majno-Hurst, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Department of Surgery, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale

The reading will be interpreted by: Fausto Cabra

More information can be found at the following link.