Empathy towards patients from physicians has been shown to have multiple benefits to both patients, providers and the healthcare system as a whole. Only recently has empathy been realized as a clinical skill – one that can be taught, learned and enhanced. Charon’s groundbreaking work in establishing the discipline of Narrative Medicine stresses the need for “narrative competence” as the key to empathy. The ability to listen and analyze the patient’s story – the foundation of every patient encounter. In this presentation, the fundamentals of narrative competence will be highlighted. Also, techniques for teaching empathy as a clinical skill will be discussed from basic role modeling to formal programs in Narrative Healthcare.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the importance of the patient’s story as the basis of the clinical encounter
2. Be familiar with the basics of Narrative Competence and how they relate to the patient encounter
3. Understand how narrative competence relates to empathy as a clinical skill
4. Be introduced to ways in which formal training in Narrative Healthcare can be obtained and how it can be introduced into clinical practice and undergraduate and graduate medical education

Handouts