Visual storytelling in healthcare: Why we should help patients visualize their health
Last time you went to the doctor, how did you explain what was happening? What helped you remember the things you wanted to say? Perhaps you glanced through a list of things you had jotted down on a scrap of paper, or maybe you just relied on your powers of recall. Possibly, as you walked away from the visit, you suddenly remembered one of the most important things you had wanted to say. For chronic patients, most of whom visit their doctors regularly but for a relatively short duration, it can be difficult to remember the highlights and questions that have come up over the 3 or 6 months since the last visit. Unless they bring detailed notes, there are few cues to help elicit this type of information; therefore, patients are left to recall what they can, in the moment, and answer whatever questions come their way. Clearly, this method of storytelling and recall is lacking. We can do better. Recently, I have been using visual prompts during my doctor visits to help me better explain what is going on with me, and I have found this immensely helpful. Based on my own successes, I have come to believe that providing patients with visual means of personal expression can give them a new understanding of their health and help them tell a more effective story, which in turn increases understanding on the part of their care providers. I would like to tell you a little about my own health story and the circumstances that led me to experiment with communicating in a more visual manner.
Inf. Vis.