NARRATIVE MEDICINE: SCRIPTS THAT TRANSFORMS YOU

Introduction and Objective: Narrative emerges as a medical competence and an enhancing tool for the general practitioner’s (GP) daily routine beyond scientific skills only. Writing becomes a reminder to listen closely to each patient and to our own feelings as we interact with them. This poster aims to clarify this method and its influence on clinical practice. Method: A group of preceptors and residents of São João do Estoril Health Unit made a comprehensive reflection on the clinical narratives, sharing and exploring different perspectives about: the doctor’s emotions and self-awareness beyond his professional reasoning; the doctor-patient relationship and its circumstances; new views of seeing and understanting of each person/patient; and last but not least, the repercussions of these shared contents on the health team. Results and Conclusions: This work has emphasized the importance of narrative medicine when used on a regular basis, contributing to the humanization of health care and providing moments of “epiphany”. The authors observed an empowerment in the doctor-patient relationship and found attitudes and illnesses that until then were unfold, leading to constant learning and understanding. Awareness and self-assessment are a critical component of professionalism and the process of shared experiences in form of writing is an essential pathway to the sustainable development of narrative medicine.