The EOC project has been conducted in collaboration with the Universities of Geneva and Harvard since 2019, and, as Dr Marta Fadda explained, involves patients who come to the hospital to undergo elective surgery that requires at least three days of hospitalisation: "Patients are encouraged to write their biographies and share them with the surgeon who will be caring for them during their hospitalisation. Since 2019, we have collected over one hundred biographies, and the response rate has been very high. The stories shared are rich and wonderful. Patients often include details about their lives that may seem unrelated to clinical aspects and may appear insignificant for medical decisions. However, these personal narratives hold significant value, as they help us recognise patients as unique individuals with their own stories. One intriguing aspect we discovered in analysing these stories is the depth and number of details shared by the patients. It is particularly striking because these individuals often recount their experiences to caregivers whom they may have met only once or twice. This raises questions about what patients expect when they enter a hospital-a place where, both literally and metaphorically, they must shed everything. They relinquish their social markers, which define their identities and roles within society and their communities. In contrast, these stories allow patients to express themselves through the aspects of their identity that matter most to them. Furthermore, these narratives are included in the patient’s medical records, ensuring that everyone involved in their care, including administrative staff responsible for reception and other bureaucratic functions, has access to them."
What is proposed by narrative medicine is not intended to be a substitute for classical medicine but rather a method that integrates the therapeutic power of stories with traditional approaches: "Traditionally, medicine operates on the biomedical paradigm, therefore focusing on biological aspects and the functioning of the human body; narrative medicine, on the other hand, focuses on the narrative competence of the carers. The goal is to equip individuals with tools acquired through specific training and daily practice, enabling them to recognise, process, and internalise stories. This understanding can then inform and modify their actions based on the stories they have collected. To achieve this, keeping patient diaries is crucial. Additionally, encouraging patients to share their general experiences related to their illness or health can make a significant difference. A structured approach is unnecessary; narrative medicine can be seamlessly integrated into everyday interactions with patients and their families."
Unfortunately, narrative medicine is still not very well known. For its part, USI offers optional courses for students of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences who are interested in the subject. Fondazione Sasso Corbaro , which is active in the field of medical humanities, organises encounters and promotes projects. Still, it is necessary to increase efforts in this area to offer today’s and tomorrow’s doctors adequate tools to approach patients empathetically.
"The narrative medicine course I took at Harvard University consisted of weekly meetings where I had to come prepared by reading excerpts from classic novels. In these texts, all the typical elements of a narrative were present: the protagonist, the setting, the time, the conflict, and the resolution. The experience was transformative for me; a course like this heightens your awareness of other people’s stories. I realised that I had developed a greater sensitivity to the experiences of others.," recalled Marta Fadda.
The full interview with Marta Fadda on "Giardino di Albert" (Rete Due - RSI) is available at the following.
