Protocol for a systematic review of the use of narrative storytelling and visual-arts-based approaches as knowledge translation tools in healthcare

We're here too: child health information-seeking experiences and preferences of Red River Métis families - a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Red River Métis families need access to meaningful and appropriate resources when their children are sick. At the invitation of the Manitoba Métis Federation (MMF) to partner in this research, our aim was to understand Red River Métis parents' experiences and preferences for seeking child health information when their child is acutely ill, to inform the adaptation of existing parent resources.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive approach underpinned by a participatory paradigm guided this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 Red River Métis parents and Elders via Zoom or telephone. An inductive thematic analysis approach was used to explore patterns and themes across the data.

RESULTS

Analysis generated four themes: (1) We're here too; (2) We are not all the same; (3) Finding trustworthy information; and (4) Information needs to be widely available. Red River Métis pride was prominent in the results. Parents provided tangible ways to modify existing parent resources, including adding information on how to access Elders, healers and/or traditional medicines and showing different family structures, transport, living situations, Métis names, and incorporating Métis languages. While most parents reported looking for child health information online, they also stressed the need to provide multiple options, including information sheets, recognizing that parents seek information in different contexts. Parents also emphasized the importance of accessible, safe spaces to find child health information, including local schools, community centres, healthcare organizations and the MMF.

CONCLUSION

There is a lack of child health information created specifically for Red River Métis families. The development of this information can support their information needs and preferences and the ongoing efforts to revitalize Red River Métis culture and language. Study findings will inform the adaptation and dissemination of existing child health resources to ensure they reflect Red River Métis parents' information needs and preferences. This research is a critical step in addressing an identified need for Red River Métis families to have culturally relevant and meaningful child health resources, and in the pursuit of equitable care for all children in Canada.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

N/A.

Bridging evidence-to-care gaps with mHealth: Designing a symptom checker for parents accessing knowledge translation resources on acute children's illnesses in a smartphone application

Background

Smartphone applications offer a novel platform for delivering health information to parents. This study created and evaluated an app-based symptom checker that recommends educational tools to parents based on their child's symptoms.

Methods

Symptoms extracted from 23 knowledge translation (KT) tools for 10 children's illnesses comprised a set of plain-language symptoms. The symptom checker works by producing confusion matrices evaluating a child's reported symptoms against possible illnesses, comparing precision scores to examine how well each illness matched reported symptoms, and ordering possible illnesses by performance score. Performance was evaluated by extracting symptoms from 8 clinical vignettes, and examining correct first-try matches.

Results

We created a final list of 54 plain-language symptoms. Visualizations of the symptom set creation process and logic mapping are presented, as well as images of the working symptom checker. The symptom checker matched 100% (8/8) of tested clinical vignettes to the appropriate illness resource.

Discussion

Symptom checkers are a potentially useful tool to integrate into apps that parents use for their children's health. The design of these systems has the potential to change parents' relationship with technology, affecting both their adoption and acceptance of symptom checkers. Our design choices contribute to addressing current barriers to the adoption of symptom checkers, reducing functional, critical, and interactive literacy requirements for parents.

"It's Just Flourishing Hope Everywhere": The Experiences of Incarcerated Men Sharing Their Stories

Of the 2.2 million people incarcerated throughout the United States, 93% are men. The current phenomenological study adds to the existing body of qualitative research on the lived experiences of men who are incarcerated and supports storytelling as a therapeutic technique. Four essential themes were revealed through an analysis of participant interviews: (1) substance use, (2) anticipation of storytelling, (3) the act of storytelling, and (4) reflections on storytelling. Understanding these experiences can assist in the development of storytelling-based interventions and community programing that is mutually beneficial to both the teller and the listener.

Parental Knowledge, Self-confidence, and Usability Evaluation of a Web-Based Infographic for Pediatric Concussion: Multimethod Study

BACKGROUND

Concussions, which are known as mild traumatic brain injuries, are complex injuries caused by direct or indirect blows to the head and are increasingly being recognized as a significant public health concern for children and their families. Previous research has identified few studies examining the efficacy of educational interventions on parental concussion knowledge. The aim of this research was to actively work together with children who have experienced a concussion and their parents to develop, refine, and evaluate the usability of a web-based infographic for pediatric concussion.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to report on the usability of the infographic, parental knowledge, and self-confidence in pediatric concussion knowledge before and after exposure to the infographic.

METHODS

A multiphase, multimethod research design using patient engagement techniques was used to develop a web-based infographic. For this phase of the research (usability, knowledge, and confidence evaluation), parents who could communicate in English were recruited via social media platforms and invited to complete web-based questionnaires. Electronic preintervention and postintervention questionnaires were administered to parents to assess changes to concussion knowledge and confidence after viewing the infographic. A usability questionnaire with 11 items was also completed.

RESULTS

A web-based, infographic was developed. The infographic is intended for parents and children and incorporates information that parents and children identified as both wants and needs about concussion alongside the best available research evidence on pediatric concussion. A total of 31 surveys were completed by parents. The mean scores for each item on the usability surveys ranged from 8.03 (SD 1.70) to 9.26 (SD 1.09) on a 10-point Likert scale, indicating that the usability components of the infographic were largely positive. There was no statistically significant difference between preintervention and postintervention knowledge scores (Z=-0.593; P=.55; both preintervention and postintervention knowledge scores had a median of 9 out of 10). In contrast, there was a statistically significant difference between preintervention (mean 3.9/5, SD 0.56) and postintervention (mean 4.4/5, SD 0.44) confidence in knowledge scores (t₃₀=-5.083; P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrate that parents positively rated a web-based, infographic for pediatric concussion. In addition, although there was no statistically significant difference overall in parents' knowledge scores before and after viewing the infographic, their confidence in their knowledge did significantly increase. These results suggest that using a web-based infographic as a knowledge translation intervention may be useful in increasing parents' confidence in managing their child's concussion.

Comparison of the effect of teaching Bundle Branch Block of electrocardiogram through storytelling and lecture on learning and satisfaction of nursing students: A quasi-experimental study

AIM

In this study, we taught learners the interpretation of the bundle branch block in two ways of storytelling and usual lecture, then compare the effect of these two methods on the level of learning and satisfaction. Storytelling can lead to deep learning, promoted critical thinking of students and enhanced clinical skills. It is an effective teaching method engaging nursing and midwifery students in clinical education.

DESIGN

A quasi-experimental study.

METHODS

We conducted this study in the training hospital, Ardabil, Iran, from 2019 to 2020. We selected 70 nursing students of semesters 6th and 7th through convenience sampling then allocated them randomly into two groups of intervention (n = 40) and control (n = 30). We taught the same topics to the intervention group via the storytelling method and the control group via lecturing. Data collection tools included a standard questionnaire of satisfaction with the teaching method and learning how to interpret an electrocardiogram. Data were analyzed using chi-square and independent t-tests. The significance level was considered less than 0.05.

RESULTS

Students in the control group had a higher mean score of satisfaction with the teaching method (30.00 ± 2.00) than students in the intervention group (29.00 ± 3.00). Also, There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding learning quality (P = 0.20).

CONCLUSION

Both methods of storytelling and lecturing were effective in increasing students' satisfaction. However, the liking of the teaching method, learning in a short time and high motivation for learning in the intervention group were higher. It is suggested to teach electrocardiogram interpretation to nursing students first through lecturing and then stabilize the concepts in their minds through storytelling.

New-media arts-based public engagement projects could reshape the future of the generative biology

Research in the sciences of new-media arts aims to develop original research questions and borrows many different interdisciplinary research methodologies that often involve collaboration with professionals from non-art fields to provide real investigations. Over the last four decades, new-media arts provided unlimited strategies to integrate the laypeople into real interactive conversations allowing them to express their opinions and reflect their concerns regarding boundless scientific, environmental, political and ethical issues. Within this context, this article illustrates the parallel and growing attention to perform effective joint public engagement projects between both new-media arts and biological science domains and how biological science could benefit from the new-media arts projects to allow the laypeople to actively participate in decision-making processes regarding critical biological issues that seek more open and democratic biological investigations. This article, therefore, monitors the developments of public engagement as a concept in biological sciences and its practical principles, which they have been enhanced under the influence of today's new-media arts strategies of engagement. As an extension of the existed efforts, the article, finally, highlighted one of the most recent international conversation led by the author regarding an assumed new-media arts protocol to use stem cells in new-media arts labs and the role of such protocol to secure the highest standard level of public engagement, by which the laypeople could control and reshape the future of generative biology and personalised medicine.

A lifeworld theory-led action research process for humanizing services: improving "what matters" to older people to enhance humanly sensitive care

Purpose: Using a theory-led action research process test applicability of humanizing care theory to better understand what matters to people and assess how the process can improve human dimensions of health care services. Consideration of the value of this process to guide enhancements in humanly sensitive care and investigate transferable benefits of the participatory strategy for improving human dimensions of health care services.

Methods: Action research with service users, practitioners and academics, with participatory processes led through the application of theory via a novel Humanizing Care Framework in two diverse clinical settings.

Results: Participants engaged in a theory-led participatory process, understood and valued the framework seeing how it relates to own experiences. Comparative analysis of settings identified transferable processes with potential to enhance human dimensions of care more generally. We offer transferable strategy with contextualized practical details of humanizing processes and outcomes that can contribute to portable pathways to enhance dignity in care through application of humanizing care theory in practice.

Conclusion: The theoretical framework is a feasible and effective guide to enhance human dimensions of care. Our rigorous participative process facilitates sharing of patient and staff experience, sensitizing practitioners’ understandings and helping develop new ways of providing theoretically robust person-centred care based on lifeworld approaches.

Respecting Human Autonomy in Critical Care Clinical Decision Support

Clinical Decision Support (CDS) aims at helping physicians optimize their decisions. However, as each patient is unique in their characteristics and preferences, it is difficult to define the optimal outcome. Human physicians should retain autonomy over their decisions, to ensure that tradeoffs are made in a way that fits the unique patient. We tend to consider autonomy in the sense of not influencing decision-making. However, as CDS aims to improve decision-making, its very aim is to influence decision-making. We advocate for an alternative notion of autonomy as enabling the physician to make decisions in accordance with their professional goals and values and the goals and values of the patient. This perspective retains the role of autonomy as a gatekeeper for safeguarding other human values, while letting go of the idea that CDS should not influence the physician in any way. Rather than trying to refrain from incorporating human values into CDS, we should instead aim for a value-aware CDS that actively supports the physician in considering tradeoffs in human values. We suggest a conversational AI approach to enable the CDS to become value-aware and the use of story structures to help the user integrate facts and data-driven learnings provided by the CDS with their own value judgements in a natural way.

Protocol for a systematic review of living labs in healthcare

INTRODUCTION

Healthcare is increasingly challenged to meet the demands of user involvement and knowledge mobilisation required by the 21st-century patient-centred and knowledge-based economies. Innovations are needed to reduce problematic barriers to knowledge exchange and improve collaborative problem solving. Living labs, as open knowledge systems, have the potential to address these gaps but are underexplored in healthcare.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will conduct the first systematic review of living labs across healthcare contexts. We will comprehensively search the following online databases from inception to 31 December 2020: Scopus, the Cochrane Library (Wiley), Medline (OVID), Embase (OVID), Web of Science, PsycINFO (OVID) and EBSCOhost databases including Academic Search Complete, Business Source Premier, Canadian Reference Centre, CINAHL, MasterFILE Premier, SPORTDiscus, Library & Information Science Source, Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts, AgeLine, EconLit, Art Full Text, Women's Studies International and Social Work Abstracts. We will search for grey literature using Google advanced techniques and books/book chapters through scholarly and bibliographical databases. We will use a dual-reviewer, two-step selection process with pre-established inclusion criteria and limit to English language publications. Empirical studies of any design examining living lab development, implementation or evaluation in health or healthcare will be included. We will use the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for methodological quality appraisal and Covidence software for review management, and we will extract data on pre-established variables such as lab context and technological platforms. We will create evidence tables and analyse across variables such as focal aim and achievement of living lab principles, such as the use of cocreation and multimethod approaches. We will tabulate data for descriptive reporting and narrative synthesis to identify current applications, approaches and promising areas for living lab development across health contexts.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was not required for this review. This review will inform research into living labs in health environments, including guidance for a living lab in paediatric rehabilitation. Academic publications shared through collaborative networks and social media channels will provide substantive knowledge to the growing tech-health development sector and to researchers, practitioners and organisations seeking enhanced patient/stakeholder engagement and innovations in knowledge translation and evidence-based practice.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42020175275.

Using arts-based digital storytelling in neonatal care to enhance nursing students' empathy

BACKGROUND

The emotional challenges experienced by parents of infants admitted to the neonatal unit are well documented. Stories based on parents' narratives can be an effective method for nursing students to learn about parents' experiences and develop empathy for them.

AIM

To explore the contribution of arts-based digital storytelling based on parental experiences of neonatal care to enhancing empathy in children's nursing students.

METHOD

A collection of digital stories based on parental narratives were developed using the ASPIRE (aim, storyboarding, population, implementation, release, evaluation) framework. A mixed-methods approach was used to evaluate the effects of three of those digital stories, whereby 67 children's nursing students completed questionnaires and seven of them were interviewed individually about the stories.

FINDINGS

The mix of illustrations, animation, voice and text was well received by participants, not only aiding their learning, but also eliciting an emotional response from them. However, some aspects of the digital stories were found to hinder learning and some participants questioned the power of digital stories. Despite this, overall, the use of digital storytelling was found to be engaging, hold students' interest and enable learning via their senses.

CONCLUSION

Arts-based digital storytelling can convey the complexities of parents' emotional experiences in the neonatal unit, so that nursing students are better equipped to understand and empathise with them.

Cultural Adaptation of Digital Knowledge Translation Tools for Acute Otitis Media in Low- to Middle-Income Countries: Mixed Methods Usability Study

BACKGROUND

Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common pediatric bacterial ear infection. AOM presents challenges to parents who lack accurate information. Digital knowledge translation tools offer a promising approach to communicating complex health information. We developed AOM knowledge translation tools for Canadian parents and augmented them for Pakistani parent end users.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study aimed to (1) develop AOM knowledge translation tools for Canadian parents, (2) adapt the knowledge translation tools across cultural contexts, and (3) evaluate the usability of the adapted knowledge translation tools.

METHODS

Parents' perceptions of the translated knowledge translation tools' usability were explored using a mixed-methods design. We recruited parent participants from a hospital in Pakistan to complete usability surveys (n=47) and focus group interviews (n=21). Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyze data.

RESULTS

Usability results showed the usefulness and effectiveness of both adapted knowledge translation tools. Parents reported preferring a digital media narrative format in their own language. Findings revealed that culturally adapted knowledge translation tools are effective in transferring health information to parents.

CONCLUSIONS

Digital knowledge translation tools offer a promising approach to improving health literacy and communicating complex health information to parents of children with AOM. Culturally adapting the tools generated important knowledge that will contribute to knowledge translation advancements. Evaluation of the tool effectiveness is a critical next step to exploring the impact of knowledge translation tools on child health outcomes.

Visual Elicitation: Methods for Enhancing the Quality and Depth of Interview Data in Applied Qualitative Health Research

Generating rich data from interviews for a qualitative study can be difficult to operationalize; especially when difficulties establishing rapport, power imbalances, and participant factors threaten the interview process and quality of data. The aim of this methods article is to (a) discuss the value of incorporating visual elicitation tools or tasks within semistructured or in-depth qualitative interviews to enhance the depth of data generated and (b) provide a specific example of how this is planned and executed within the context of an applied qualitative health research study.

Injury narratives in occupational safety and health prevention in Italy

BACKGROUND

Storytelling is an effective information source when coupled with technical-scientific evidence. It can promote a structured relationship between evidence-based knowledge and field experience of workplace safety and prevention services (WSPS) inspectors. This is key to identifying the causes of workplace injuries and to set priorities for prevention strategies.

AIMS

The main aim was to describe and report how story collection can be used for deriving validated indications for injury prevention. The specific objectives were to report the results of the creation and dissemination on the web of the story collection and the experience of setting up a community of practice (CoP) to develop preventive recommendations.

METHODS

WSPS inspectors from local health boards in Piedmont (northwest Italy) were asked to write injury stories. They identified the key elements of their stories and developed a narrative of witness accounts to explore the critical issues identified during the investigation. In sessions with the CoP, the inspectors validated the indications for prevention elaborated in each story to reduce bias and standardize recommendations.

RESULTS

Between 2012 and 2017, 60 WSPS inspectors wrote 53 injury stories which were collected and published on the institutional website. Twenty-two stories were selected for discussion during peer review sessions in the CoP and the indications for prevention were transformed as preventive solutions.

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational safety and health prevention can benefit from a narrative-based approach that provides a more comprehensive look at health and safety by facilitating knowledge improvement and sharing.

Storytelling as a research tool and intervention around public health perceptions and behaviour: a protocol for a systematic narrative review

INTRODUCTION

There is a growing trend to use storytelling as a research tool to extract information and/or as an intervention to effect change in the public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour (KAB) in relation to public health issues, primarily those with a strong element of disease prevention. However, evidence of its use in either or both capacities is limited. This protocol proposes a systematic narrative review of peer-reviewed, published literature on the use of storytelling as a research tool within the public health arena.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center), Web of Science, Art and Humanities database (ProQuest), Scopus and Google Scholar will be searched for studies that look at the use of storytelling in the research of pressing current public health issues, for example, vaccinations, antimicrobial resistance, climate change and cancer screening. The review will synthesise evidence of how storytelling is used as a research tool to (a) gain insights into KAB and (b) to effect change in KAB when used as an intervention. Included studies will be selected according to carefully defined criteria relevant to public health issues of interest, and data from qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies will be extracted with a customised data extraction form. A narrative synthesis will be performed according to Economic and Social Research Council guidance from Popay, J, 2006.The study protocol follows the recommendations by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P).

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Formal ethical approval is not required for this study, as no primary data will be collected. Dissemination will involve publishing results of this study in relevant peer-reviewed journal(s). Where possible, the study results will also be presented as posters or talks at relevant medical conferences and meetings.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42019124704.

Using theatre as an arts-based knowledge translation strategy for health-related information: a scoping review protocol

INTRODUCTION

Substantial delays in translating evidence to practice mean that many beneficial and vital advances in medical care are not being used in a timely manner. Traditional knowledge translation (KT) strategies have tended to target academics by disseminating findings in academic journals and at scientific conferences. Alternative strategies, such as theatre-based KT, appear to be effective at targeting broader audiences. The purpose of this scoping review is to collate and understand the current state of science on the use of theatre as a KT strategy. This will allow us to identify gaps in literature, determine the need for a systematic review and develop additional research questions to advance the field.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This review will follow established scoping review methods outlined by Arksey and O'Malley in conjunction with enhanced recommendations made by Levac et al. The search strategy, guided by an experienced librarian, will be conducted in PubMed, CINHAL and OVID. Study selection will consist of three stages: (1) initial title and abstract scan by one author to remove irrelevant articles and create a shortlist for double screening, (2) title and abstract scan by two authors, and (3) full-text review by two authors. Included studies will report specifically on the use of theatre as means of KT of health-related information to any target population. Two reviewers will independently extract and chart the data using a standardised data extraction form. Descriptive statistics will be used to produce numerical summaries related to study characteristics, KT strategy characteristics and evaluation characteristics. For those studies that included an evaluation of the theatre production as a KT strategy, we will synthesise the data according to outcome.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was not required for this study. Results will be published in relevant journals, presented at conferences and distributed via social media.

Digital storytelling as a method in health research: a systematic review protocol

BACKGROUND

Digital storytelling is an arts-based research method with potential to elucidate complex narratives in a compelling manner, increase participant engagement, and enhance the meaning of research findings. This method involves the creation of a 3- to 5-min video that integrates multimedia materials including photos, participant voices, drawings, and music. Given the significant potential of digital storytelling to meaningfully capture and share participants' lived experiences, a systematic review of its use in healthcare research is crucial to develop an in-depth understanding of how researchers have used this method, with an aim to refine and further inform future iterations of its use.

METHODS

We aim to identify and synthesize evidence on the use, impact, and ethical considerations of using digital storytelling in health research. The review questions are as follows: (1) What is known about the purpose, definition, use (processes), and contexts of digital storytelling as part of the research process in health research? (2) What impact does digital storytelling have upon the research process, knowledge development, and healthcare practice? (3) What are the key ethical considerations when using digital storytelling within qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method research studies? Key databases and the grey literature will be searched from 1990 to the present for qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies that utilized digital storytelling as part of the research process. Two independent reviewers will screen and critically appraise relevant articles with established quality appraisal tools. We will extract narrative data from all studies with a standardized data extraction form and conduct a thematic analysis of the data. To facilitate innovative dissemination through social media, we will develop a visual infographic and three digital stories to illustrate the review findings, as well as methodological and ethical implications.

DISCUSSION

In collaboration with national and international experts in digital storytelling, we will synthesize key evidence about digital storytelling that is critical to the development of methodological and ethical expertise about arts-based research methods. We will also develop recommendations for incorporating digital storytelling in a meaningful and ethical manner into the research process.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO registry number CRD42017068002 .

Development and Usability Evaluation of an Art and Narrative-Based Knowledge Translation Tool for Parents With a Child With Pediatric Chronic Pain: Multi-Method Study

Background

Chronic pain in childhood is increasingly being recognized as a significant clinical problem for children and their families. Previous research has identified that families want information about the causes of their child’s chronic pain, treatment options, and effective strategies to help their child cope with the pain. Unfortunately, parents have reported that finding this information can be challenging.

Objective

The aim of this study was to actively work together with children attending a pediatric chronic pain clinic and their parents to develop, refine, and evaluate the usability of an art and narrative-based electronic book (e-book) for pediatric chronic pain.

Methods

A multiphase, multi-method research design employing patient engagement techniques was used to develop, refine, and evaluate the usability of an art and narrative based e-book for pediatric chronic pain management to facilitate knowledge translation for parents with a child with chronic pain. The multiple phases included the following: (1) qualitative interviews to compile parents’ narratives using qualitative interviews; (2) qualitative data analysis; (3) development of an e-book prototype; (4) expert clinician feedback; (5) parent usability evaluation, knowledge change, and confidence in knowledge responses using an electronic survey; (6) e-book refinement; and (7) dissemination of the e-book.

Results

A 48-page e-book was developed to characterize the experiences of a family living with a child with chronic pain. The e-book was a composite narrative of the parent interviews and encompassed descriptions of the effects the condition has on each member of the family. This was merged with the best available research evidence on the day-to-day management of pediatric chronic pain. The e-book was vetted for clinical accuracy by expert pediatric pain clinicians. All parents that participated in the usability evaluation (N=14) agreed or strongly agreed the content of the e-book was easy to understand and stated that they would recommend the e-book to other families who have children with chronic pain. Our research identified up to a 21.4% increase in knowledge after using the e-book, and paired t tests demonstrated a statistically significant difference in confidence in answering two of the five knowledge questions (chronic pain is a disease involving changes in the nervous system; the use of ibuprofen is usually effective at controlling chronic pain); t₁₃=0.165, P=.001 and t₁₃=0.336, P=.002, respectively, after being exposed to the e-book.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that parents positively rated an e-book developed for parents with a child with chronic pain. Our results also identify that overall, parents’ knowledge increased after using the e-book, and confidence in their knowledge about chronic pain and its management increased in two aspects after e-book exposure. These results suggest that art and narrative-based knowledge translation interventions may be useful in transferring complex health information to parents.

Exploring the value of qualitative research films in clinical education

BACKGROUND

Many healthcare professionals use both quantitative and qualitative research to inform their practice. The usual way to access research findings is through peer-reviewed publications. This study aimed to understand the impact on healthcare professionals of watching and discussing a short research based film. The film, 'Struggling to be me' portrays findings from a qualitative synthesis exploring people's experiences of chronic pain, and was delivered as part of an inter-professional postgraduate e-learning module. The innovation of our study is to be the first to explore the impact of qualitative research portrayed through the medium of film in clinical education.

METHODS

All nineteen healthcare professionals enrolled on the course in December 2013 took part in on-line interviews or focus groups. We recorded and transcribed the interviews verbatim and used the methods of Grounded Theory to analyse the interview transcripts.

RESULTS

Watching and discussing the film became a stimulus for learning : (a) A glimpse beneath the surface explored a pro-active way of seeing the person behind the pain (b) Pitfalls of the Medical Model recognised the challenge, for both patient and clinician, of 'sitting with' rather than 'fixing' an ill person; (c) Feeling bombarded by despair acknowledged the intense emotions that the clinicians brings to the clinical encounter; (d) Reconstructing the clinical encounter as a shared journey reconstructed the time-constrained clinical encounter as a single step on a shared journey towards healing, rather than fixing.

CONCLUSIONS

Films portraying qualitative research findings can stimulate a pro-active and dialectic form of knowing. Research-based qualitative films can make qualitative findings accessible and can be a useful resource in clinical training. Our research presents, for the first time, specific learning themes for clinical education.