Enhancing physician’s toolkit: Integrating storytelling in medical practice

Traditional communication of medical literature using evidence-based terminologies are inadequate as the body of COVID-19 literature increases thereby requiring alternate methods of communication like podcasts, webinars, social media. A common theme in all these alternate forms of communication is the art of storytelling that allows physicians to make a connection with a patient by understanding their perspectives. Apart from few situations where story telling can be distracting in many situations where the patient’s history is complex and require great listening skills and empathy.. Learning to be a good storyteller can help the physician help patients be a great change agent for them. Communicating with these patients can be done effectively using standard communication tools and using effective storytelling techniques can reinforce the patients trust in the provider and strengthen patient physician relationship. This could have a salutatory result both for the patient by increasing patient satisfaction and compliance with treatment and physician satisfaction by increasing to understand their patient’s true concerns.