Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Connect with Your Patients

Storytelling is a form of communication through which we can help people cope with and reframe Illnesses, treatment, or death by providing meaning and comfort. Engaging patients through storytelling can make medical interactions more effective and meaningful. Doctors can use several strategies to incorporate storytelling into their practice to enhance patient communication. The potential beneficial effects of telling a story have been recognized in many cultures and have received attention from philosophers, social scientists, and medical practitioners. The author discusses how stories can embellish the doctor-patient relationship.