Approaches, Application, and the Road Ahead for Narrative Medicine in South Asia

June 21, 2024

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – India Research Center, Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University, and Boston University Foundation in India hosted a webinar “Approaches, Application, and the Road Ahead for Narrative Medicine in South Asia” on June 21, 2024.

Narrative Medicine embodies a humanistic approach to patient care, emphasizing empathy and understanding by acknowledging patients’ experiences, emotions, and symptoms from their own perspective. This session will discuss the inception, objectives, and methodologies of narrative medicine, alongside its educational and clinical applications, informed by outcome literature. Join us to uncover narrative medicine’s transformative potential and chart a compassionate path forward in medical pedagogy and practice in South Asia.

Speakers:

• Deepthiman Gowda, Assistant Dean for Medical Education, Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine
  A general internist, Deepthiman Gowda’s research includes narrative medicine, visual art in medical education, and interprofessional education. He previously served at Columbia University, directing Clinical Practice in Narrative Medicine and Clinical Medicine Tutorials. As Chair of Columbia’s Fundamentals Curriculum, he enhanced equity, inclusion, and diversity. A former Macy Faculty Scholar and NYC Board of Health member, he currently co-chairs the NBME Step 2 Clinical Skills Committee, aiming to create a more person-centered, equitable healthcare system.
• Nidhi Lal, Clinical Associate Professor of Family Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  In 2017, the Middlesex West District Medical Society recognized Nidhi Lal as the Community Clinician of the Year, honouring her professionalism and contributions to medicine. Nidhi’s career highlights include extensive work with underserved populations, mentoring medical students and residents, and advocacy at local and state levels. She is dedicated to training General Practitioners in India to enhance global health and improve maternal and child health outcomes in tribal communities.
• Pamela Schaff, Professor of Clinical Medical Education, and Family Medicine, and Pediatrics (Educational Scholar), Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California
  Pamela Schaff directs the Humanities, Ethics, Art, and Law (HEAL) Program and the Master of Science in Narrative Medicine Program. She continues her clinical paediatric practice in Family Medicine and has held roles such as director of the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Program and associate dean for curriculum. With a PhD in literature and creative writing from USC, her work integrates arts and humanities into medical education. Her research focuses on professional identity formation and narrative medicine.

Session Moderator:

K. Viswanath, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Director, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health India Research Centre; McGraw-Patterson Center for Population Sciences at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI)

K. “Vish” Viswanath directs several centers, including the Health Communication Core at DF/HCC. His research focuses on equity in health communication and involves community-based participatory research to influence public health policy. Vish has authored over 300 publications on topics like communication inequalities and health disparities. He has served on national committees and received numerous awards for his contributions to public health communication and policy. The goal of the program of research in his lab is to influence public health policy and practice through knowledge translation and translational communication.