The Use of Visual Arts as a Window to Diagnosing Medical Pathologies

Bibliographic Data

ID15747769
AuthorsKatrina A Bramstedt (0000-0001-5446-0123, Institute of Medical Ethics, corresponding author)
Year2016
Volume18
Issue8
Pages843-854
Publication date2016-08-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueThe AMA Journal of Ethic (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2376-6980 • E-ISSN: 2376-6980
PublisherAmerican Medical Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1001/journalofethics.2016.18.8.imhl1-1608
PMID27550570
OpenAlexW2485259854
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited2

Observation is a key step preceding diagnosis, prognostication, and treatment. Careful patient observation is a skill that is learned but rarely explicitly taught. Furthermore, proper clinical observation requires more than a glance; it requires attention to detail. In medical school, the art of learning to look can be taught using the medical humanities and especially visual arts such as paintings and film. Research shows that such training improves not only observation skills but also teamwork, listening skills, and reflective and analytical thinking. Overall, the use of visual arts in medical school curricula can build visual literacy: the capacity to identify and analyze facial features, emotions, and general bodily presentations, including contextual features such as clothing, hair, and body art. With the ability to formulate and convey a detailed "picture" of the patient, clinicians can integrate aesthetic and clinical knowledge, helping facilitate the diagnosing of medical pathologies

Art · Curriculum · Literacy · Literature · Mathematics education · Medical education · Medical humanities · Narrative · Pedagogy · The arts · Visual arts · Visual Literacy · Window (computing · World Wide Web · Computer Science · Empathy and Medical Education · Film in Education and Therapy · Innovations in Medical Education · Medicine · Psychology

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