Redefining health communication through narrative intersection
Opening closed narratives and co-creating meaning
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22093294 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Tsuyoshi Okuhara (0000-0002-6251-3587, University of Tokyo Health Sciences, corresponding author), Hiroko Okada (0000-0001-7877-9753, University of Tokyo Health Sciences), Rie Yokota (0000-0002-1973-2493, Hoshi University), Yumi Kagawa (Iwate Medical University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-10 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Frontiers in Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2297-900X • E-ISSN: 2297-900X |
| Publisher | Frontiers Media SA (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3389/fcomm.2025.1672808 |
| OpenAlex | W4416096101 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
We aimed to propose a new conceptualization of health communication that mitigates the limitations of traditional one-way models by introducing a relational, narrative-based approach that emphasizes mutual understanding. This paper critiques existing definitions and proposes an alternative framework by reviewing interdisciplinary literature on Narrative Medicine, narrative identity theory, and health communication research. The paper introduces “narrative intersection” as a concept that describes how divergent narratives engage in dialogic meaning-making. Health communication is redefined as the study and practice of opening closed narratives and co-creating shared meanings through narrative intersections to improve health. This redefinition shifts focus from merely delivering information to fostering dialog and co-constructing meaning. It provides a unifying framework for diverse domains, such as clinical communication and public health messaging, while addressing issues such as resistance to evidence-based recommendations and the spread of misinformation. Narrative intersections offer a grounded, ethically responsive, and practically relevant framework for advancing health communication by emphasizing the importance of dialog, narrative contexts, and the structural conditions that shape the voices that are heard
Conceptualization · Dialogic · Health communication · Narrative · Narrative criticism · Narrative inquiry · Narrative network · Empathy and Medical Education · Media Influence and Health · Patient-Provider Communication in Healthcare
Evidence based medicine
Why study narrative?
Epistemic injustice in healthcare encounters
The Incremental Validity of Narrative Identity in Predicting Well-Being
Narrative Medicine
The Psychology of Life Stories
A critical and systematic literature review of epistemic justice applied to healthcare
Fostering dialogue
The Role of Narratives in Countering Health Misinformation
Development and Validation of the Narrative Identity Self-Evaluation Scale (Nise)
The illusory truth effect leads to the spread of misinformation
In science communication, why does the idea of a public deficit always return? How do the shifting information flows in healthcare affect the deficit model of science communication
Epistemic Injustice and Illness
Under the umbrella of epistemic injustice communication and epistemic injustice in clinical encounters
Variation in narrative identity is associated with trajectories of mental health over several years
Narration as a human communication paradigm
Life as Narrative
Moving from information transfer to information exchange in health and health care
Epistemic injustices in clinical communication
| Highly cited | No |
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