Narrative Medicine perspectives on patient identity and integrative care in neuro-oncology

What is it about?

Narrative Medicine sessions can encourage patients to rediscover personal identity and meaning by telling or writing their stories. We explored this process to improve care and quality of life for brain cancer patients in an academic neuro-oncology program. Brain cancer and its treatments may threaten a patient’s quality of life and sense of self in many ways, including impaired cognitive skills, loss of memory, reduced coordination, and limited capacity for self-expression. The impact of symptoms and side effects on quality of life must be evaluated in terms of each patient’s identity and may be understood in terms of each patient’s story.

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Why is it important?

Narrative Medicine encourages patients to see themselves at the center of their own stories and in this way can help patients renegotiate their sense of self an and essential identity through the challenges of the disease and treatment.