272008 Documenting Patient and Provider Stories as a Teaching Tool

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 : 10:42 AM - 10:48 AM

Liisa Ogburn, M Ed , Center for Documentary Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC
Patients and doctors have long understood the power of telling and listening to stories. Heath stories are inherently dramatic. Powerful stories told with rich media activate brain regions associated with attention and memory. In a recent study on managing high blood pressure published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, patients who received DVDs with videos of similar patients telling stories about their own experiences were able to achieve better blood pressure control on average than those who received drug regimens.

This pilot program at Duke University's Center for Documentary Studies uses documentary as a way for participants to better understand the complex stories of patients, their families and providers, as well as create materials which can be used to educate, inform, motivate and/or advocate on behalf of patients and providers. Using photography and audio, participants spend time with, hear the stories of, reflect on and then edit and render short pieces which more authentically capture health stories than those typically churned out quickly and formulaically in news and marketing departments. Through producing these pieces, participants reconnect with the human side of illness. For those working in medical care, this experience fosters the knowledge and empathy that can, in turn, enable better health care and better health outcomes. This presentation provides examples of pieces produced by participants, as well as resources for those wishing to bring this educational modality into their curriculum.

Learning Areas:
Public health or related education
Public health or related public policy

Learning Objectives:
The learner will be able to: 1. Identify how documentary may be used to achieve their unique educational or research goals. 2. List the equipment, software and costs of incorporating documentary audio or photography into curriculum or research.

Keywords: Education, Media

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: My background is in international health education and multimedia. I have taught documentary at the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke since 2006. In 2010, I founded the Documenting Medicine Program at Duke University, which trains physician residents to use documentary as a way to better understand patient and provider stories. I have produced numerous projects over the last decade, and mentored students, fellows and residents on their own projects.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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