How Can Visual Arts Help Doctors Develop Medical Insight? (original) (raw)

2012, International Journal of Art & Design Education

is the home of the National Collection of Modern Arts in the North of England and one of the largest galleries of modern and contemporary art in England outside of London. The rationale for this project was derived from the medical humanities position that art allows insight into the human condition; that 'the inclusion of a more humanistic approach to the training of healthcare staff could produce clinicians with a broader general approach, with resulting benefits to patients' (Geddes in Cowling 2004, 68); and that students can be helped to develop skills of observation, not only of physical representation but also of emotion and narrative. Previous research into the role of the arts within the medical humanities has claimed that it can enrich a variety of individual and group values, including emotional, social, psychological, cultural and educational values (Nuffield Trust 1998, 11). In order to be effective in translating ideas into practice, it has been suggested that there needs to be a cross-disciplinary approach which utilises both social and healthcare settings (Tilcock et al. 2005, 52). The project used the resources of the gallery and the experience of art educators to create a programme that explored the value of engaging with art, to enhance medical students' professionalism as future practitioners and as members of a healthcare team: 'challenging each other to form a cohesive idea about the art studied' whilst offering 'participants a creative model for linking feelings with reasoned observations and for testing, articulating, and arguing these perceptions' (Reilly et al. 2005, 252). As part of its Continuing Professional Development course portfolio, Tate Liverpool runs Opening Doors: the gallery as a resource for learning (Charnock & D'Silva 2003). Opening Doors is aimed at staff working in the social care and health professions and has attracted participants from a broad range of organisations in the health and social care fields.

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