UNDERSTANDING THE PATIENT – THE POWER OF STORYTELLING. USING FICTION IN ESP CLASSES
UNDERSTANDING THE PATIENT – THE POWER OF STORYTELLING. USING FICTION IN ESP CLASSES

Summary/Abstract: Coming to understand the complexities of human suffering, illness and pain in a technological environment and in the context of the first attempts to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare settings may become a difficult attempt. Medical Humanities introduced as a topic of study in the medical students’ training may be the key to solve a problem that may become a big issue in the years to come. The development of technology along with the digitalization of almost any aspect of our lives may gradually lead to our de-humanization and loss of empathy. When it comes to understanding the patient, the ultimate goal being that of treating his / her disease, fiction may prove to be a major tool in making our students understand the way in which science and arts mingle, raising their interest in understanding the importance of reading and understanding the power of literary texts. Knowing how to interpret literary texts may make it easier for future doctors to understand their patients, to develop their empathy and their skills as good observers. In a world that will make ever more use of AI, future doctors should learn, from an early stage, that they should not rely only on technology, while keeping in mind that the most important aspect of their profession is its human side, while at its core there should always be the patient.

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