Narrative-based medicine and the general practice consultation: Narrative-based medicine 2

Area of Science:

• Medical Humanities
• General Practice
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• The importance of narrative in understanding patient experiences of illness is well-established.
• Narrative-based medicine (NBM) integrates patient narratives into clinical practice.
• Current medical education often overlooks the value of narrative in consultations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To advocate for narrative-based medicine (NBM) as a valuable approach in general practice consultations.
• To highlight the benefits of NBM for both patients and doctors.
• To explore the skills required for effective NBM practice.

Main Methods:

• Review of perspectives from key proponents of NBM, including John Launer and Rita Charon.
• Analysis of existing literature on narrative in medicine.
• Examination of NBM in relation to patient-centered care and evidence-based practice.

Main Results:

• NBM enhances patient-centered care by incorporating the patient's illness experience.
• The skills required for NBM are attainable for general practitioners (GPs).
• NBM fosters a collaborative and mutually beneficial doctor-patient relationship.

Conclusions:

• Wider implementation of NBM by GPs can lead to considerable benefits for patients and doctors.
• NBM transforms the therapeutic encounter by creating healing narratives.
• NBM complements evidence-based approaches by valuing the patient's narrative.