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Medicine and humanities: voicing connections
1cmgillis@berkeley.edu
The Journal of Medical Humanities
|December 8, 2007
Summary
The medical humanities, an interdisciplinary field, is primarily interpretive and not easily measured quantitatively. Its value lies in fostering a more humanistic medical practice through new insights and shared language.
Area of Science:
- Medical Humanities
- Interdisciplinary Studies
- Qualitative Research
Background:
- Humanities disciplines are not typically product-driven.
- Traditional medical fields often prioritize quantitative outcomes.
- A gap exists in assessing the impact of humanities in medicine.
Purpose of the Study:
- To argue that medical humanities is an interpretive enterprise.
- To explore how this field can enhance medical practice.
- To identify the non-quantitative benefits of medical humanities.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical and theoretical analysis of the medical humanities.
- Argumentation based on the nature of interpretive disciplines.
- Conceptual exploration of language and practice in medicine.
Main Results:
- The core of medical humanities is interpretive and resists quantitative assessment.
- The process within medical humanities yields new insights.
- Development of a shared, humanizing language is a key outcome.
Conclusions:
- Medical humanities offers a non-quantitative, interpretive approach to medicine.
- The value of medical humanities is in its process and the insights it generates.
- It fosters a more humanistic and communicative medical practice.
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