The influence of narrative medicine on medical students' readiness for holistic care practice: A realist synthesis.
Background: The increasing focus on technical skills and efficiency in medical education often overshadows humanistic aspects, creating gaps in preparing clinicians for holistic patient care. Narrative Medicine, integrating storytelling and reflective practices, offers a promising approach to addres...
| Published in: | Medical Education Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 230 - 247 |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
| Format: | research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article |
| Published: |
Wiley-Blackwell
Mar2026
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=191631495&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 191631495 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 03080110 ESF jtl: Medical Education issn: 03080110 maglogo: Y pubinfo: dt: Mar2026 vid: 60 iid: 3 pid: 480 pub: Wiley-Blackwell place: Malden, Massachusetts artinfo: ui: 191631495 187448244 191631495 191631495 10.1111/medu.70024 191631495 ppf: 230 ppct: 17 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: C – @attributes: type: P tig: atl: The influence of narrative medicine on medical students' readiness for holistic care practice: A realist synthesis. aug: au: Huang, Chien‐Da Asdary, Rahma Novita Mauludina, Yosika Septi Huang, Yufrica Monrouxe, Lynn affil: Chang Gung Medical Education Research Centre (CG‐MERC), Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan sug: subj: Students, Medical Psychosocial Factors Narrative Medicine Student Attitudes Evaluation Holistic Care Outcomes (Health Care) Human Reading Writing Storytelling Clinical Competence Reflection Avoidance (Psychology) Peer Group Learning Methods Student-Patient Relations Patient Care Self Concept Disengagement Empathy Communication Clinical Reasoning Hospitals Schools, Medical Netherlands United States Medline Embase Software Data Analysis Software Funding Source ab: Background: The increasing focus on technical skills and efficiency in medical education often overshadows humanistic aspects, creating gaps in preparing clinicians for holistic patient care. Narrative Medicine, integrating storytelling and reflective practices, offers a promising approach to addressing these challenges. Objective: This study explores how Narrative Medicine interventions influence medical students' readiness for holistic care by examining the mechanisms, contexts and outcomes that underpin its effectiveness. Methods: A realist synthesis was conducted following Pawson's five‐stage methodology with a two‐phase search strategy across four databases and grey literature. Phase 1 (2008–2018) yielded 10 studies; Phase 2 (2018–2025) added 3, totalling 13. Studies were included if they focused on Narrative Medicine interventions, involved medical students and examined holistic care outcomes. Studies were assessed for credibility, theoretical depth and trustworthiness. Context‐Mechanism‐Outcome (CMO) configurations were iteratively synthesised using ATLAS.ti, ensuring rigour and consistency in accordance with RAMESES standards. Results: A total of 13 studies, predominantly from U.S. medical schools and hospitals and one from the Netherlands, involving 1158 participants, were analysed. Nine CMO configurations were identified across three contexts: Storytelling Activities, Storytelling Skills and Engaging with Stories. These contexts activated mechanisms such as Deep Observation, Reflection, and Peer Learning, which contributed to outcomes including Enhanced Holistic Patient Connection, Improved Patient Care and Enhanced Self‐Perspective. Notably, Peer Learning showed a weaker linkage to these outcomes, reflecting variability in the effectiveness of Narrative Medicine interventions. Emotional resistance, including avoidance and disengagement, highlighted challenges in implementing Narrative Medicine effectively. Conclusion: Narrative Medicine enhances relational competence, empathy and reflective practice, aligning with the principles of holistic care. Addressing barriers such as emotional discomfort and variability in outcomes requires adaptable formats and supportive environments. This study underscores Narrative Medicine's transformative potential in medical education and offers actionable insights for its integration into diverse learning contexts. New Research Alert! How does Narrative Medicine shape medical students' readiness for holistic care? 喙 Using a realist synthesis approach, we uncover key mechanisms, contexts, and outcomes pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research systematic review tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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