Improvement in the therapeutic relationship and the quality of health care through utilization of the arts in experiential learning

OBJECTIVE Investigation of the application of innovative educational methods for health professionals through utilization of the arts, the philosophy of design of which is drawn from ideas that define the medical humanities. METHOD A study was carried out in an educational population of health professionals at the level of postgraduate and pre-doctoral studies. A qualitative teaching and research strategy was used, based on four pillars: (a) creative writing, (b) role-playing, (c) theatrical dramatization, and (d) educational scenarios. The method of data synthesis and analysis was thematic analysis. RESULTS Thematic analysis of the results detected innovative forms of social skills, such as affability, which encompasses the foundation of the feeling of confidence and establishment of a collaborative therapeutic framework between the health professional and the patient, and the skill of overcoming difficult situations. The health professional students developed the skills of empathy and reflection that lead to the process of self-knowledge. It was deducted that education, within the framework of teamwork learning, can provide the foundation of a type of dialectic democracy and robust social collectivity. Health professionals who focus on the patient as a person enrich the therapeutic effect of the interchange, whereas objectification of the patient is an indication of professional exhaustion. CONCLUSIONS Seminars on experiential learning for self-care will promote the strengthening of the relationship of health professionals with their patients. The importance of the integration of courses from the field of humanitarian studies at all levels of higher education of medical professionals is emphasized, and it is apparent that the arts provide a mental and psychic channel that has the power to lead to a new therapeutic culture.