Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Narrative Medicine Curriculum for Neurology Residents
Lauren Offerle1, Denise Acevedo2, Monica van de Ridder3, Emmy Abraham4, Shan Abbas1
1Corewell Health - Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Neurology, 2Michigan State University - College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3Michigan State University - College of Human Medicine, 4Henry Ford Health System
Objective:
To explore how Neurology residents apply Narrative Medicine when first introduced and to propose an objective method to evaluate a new curriculum’s effectiveness.
Background:
Narrative Medicine provides physicians an opportunity for self-reflection and processing the complexities of meaningful experiences. It is most effective when introduced in the training phase; it may reduce burnout, increase empathy, improve communication, and enable diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) application. The effectiveness of Narrative Medicine curricula thus far has been evaluated through participant surveys. An objective method of evaluation is needed to support educators in demonstrating its benefits.
Design/Methods:
Prior to the implementation of a formal Narrative Medicine curriculum, eleven Neurology residents in various stages of training were given six reflective writing prompts regarding their interactions with patients and the patients’ families. Participants were provided with 10 minutes to respond to each prompt during a 2-hour workshop. We developed six original tools to explore the depth of the reflections and create an objective scoring system to be used for comparison after curriculum implementation. These tools include word count, repetition, idiomatic expressions, tone, voice, and the percentage of the question answered. Each category was scored independently by two investigators to ensure validity.
Results:
The length of reflections varied, with a mean of 143 words per prompt, ranging from single digits to a maximum of 371 words. Each resident provided at least one original response; all also repeated ideas through their subsequent narratives. Only 2 out of the 66 responses were void of idiomatic expressions. There were a variety of tones used including humorous, sarcastic, and serious; most individual participants did not shift tones. Of the 66 responses, only 2 did not respond to all components of the posed questions.
Conclusions:
We propose a novel method of objectively evaluating the implementation of a Narrative Medicine curriculum into Neurology resident education.