https://doi.org/10.4081/mem.2015.26

Narrative medicine. An ethical reappraisal

Vol. 64 No. 2 (2015)
Published: April 30, 2015
Narrative, literary criticism, clinical decision / Narrative, clinical decision
Abstract Views: 571
PDF (Italiano): 5
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Authors

Paolo M. Cattorini
paolo.cattori-ni@uninsubria.it
Professore Ordinario di Medicina Legale e delle Assicurazioni, Docente di Bioetica, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, Varese, Italy.
La medicina narrativa focalizza le dimensioni dell'ascolto relazionale, in cui i partner dell'alleanza terapeutica esplorano e costruiscono assieme la trama della vicenda di malattia e dell'impresa di cura. La pratica del racconto evita la deriva naturalistica e tecnicistica in biomedica, ma esige una serie di competenze interpretative e deve guardarsi dai rischi di un approccio ingenuo e spontaneistico. Nel momento della decisione clinica, la ricchezza della narrazione può essere valorizzata, a condizione che la giustificazione etica mantenga in tensione storie e princìpi, simboli e concetti, ideali di vita buona e teorie razionali.
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Narrative based medicine focuses the humanistic dimension of the clinical encounter, that implies a mutual talking and listening, an expressing and an understanding effort between the patient and the care giver. The experience of getting ill, of searching for help, of receiving and/or giving medical support is interpreted as a plot of aiding sequences, and told as a covenant story. Some defects may nevertheless be observed: incompetence in narratology, naivety in the semantic discernment, depreciation of the psychoanalytic heritage, illusory therapeutic presumption, lack of an adequate ethical framework.

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How to Cite

Cattorini, P. M. (2015). Narrative medicine. An ethical reappraisal. Medicina E Morale, 64(2). https://doi.org/10.4081/mem.2015.26

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