Beyond the bedside: Re-imagining narrative medicine for knowledge translation

This article challenges the conventional dichotomy between narrative medicine and translational medicine, arguing that they are not opposites but mutually interdependent frameworks within medical research and practice. I question such binary classifications by exploring the supplementary relationship between the two, arguing that narrative elements are present throughout the translational chain, not just in patient interactions, and are critical to defining what makes translational medicine truly “translational”. Building on the work of Goyal et al. (2008), who posit narrative medicine as an essential enhancement to the translational paradigm in clinical interactions, I extend the argument to demonstrate that narrative processes of attention, representation, and affiliation are pivotal across all stages of translational medicine—from basic research to clinical application. As an example, I use a study by Dela Cruz et al. (2023) on the reproductive effects of hormone treatments in transmasculine youths, which employs young female mice as models. Cruz’s study illustrates how narrative medicine can deepen our understanding of translational processes and improve health outcomes by ensuring that all stages of medical research and practice are informed by narrative considerations. A longer abstract of this article in this language can be found here: synopsis.