Dr Donald berwicks commencement speech at harvard medical school class of 2012

To Isaiah: Dr. Donald Berwick’s Commencement Address to the Harvard Medical School Class of 2012
Humane and effective medical practice requires highly developed communication skills and narrative competence. The most effective physicians are able to connect emotionally with patients, feel their pain, join them on their journeys, and grieve with them. According to Charon, “Narrative competence is the ability to acknowledge, absorb, interpret, and act on the stories and plights of others (JAMA, 2001).”
In this assignment, you will read Dr. Charon’s article on narrative medicine (JAMA, 2001) and use that model and information to assess Dr. Donald Berwick’s narrative competence, as illustrated in his commencement address to the Harvard Medical School Class of 2012 (JAMA, 2012). Both JAMA articles are available on Canvas.
Your grade will be determined by how thoroughly you address the following topics. You have wide latitude and are encouraged to include your own thoughts and arguments. Please structure your paper to include these subheadings:
I. Introduction/Background
• In addition to your own discussion about narrative competence in medicine, please include in your background section the influence of the biopsychosocial model of medicine on Charon’s model of narrative competence.
II. Dr. Berwick’s overall message to these graduating medical doctors
• In your own words, what was Dr. Berwick really saying to them?
III. Patient-Physician: Dr. Berwick’s Empathic Engagement
• Discuss Dr. Berwick’s connection with Isaiah, his patient.
• Do Bendapudi’s 7 “ideal” physician behaviors (Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 2006) align with Charon’s concept of narrative medicine as “ideal” patient care? If yes, how? If no, why not?
IV. Physician-Self: Dr. Berwick’s Reflection in Practice
• Dr. Berwick said, “I learned from Isaiah.” What do you think he learned?
V. Physician-Society: Dr. Berwick’s Grasp of the Meaning of “Public Trust”
• Discuss his statement to new medical doctors, “You will do two things…”
• Discuss Dr. Berwick’s understanding of the impact of the social determinants of health on patient care.
• How does narrative competence help society achieve health care’s Triple Aim? Address all 3 aims.
• Do you think physicians should be speaking out; i.e. communicating broadly, on health care policy? Why or why not?
VI. Conclusion
• How does narrative competence impact communication in health care?
• Reflecting on your chosen profession, how will you apply Charon’s narrative medicine model to improve communication with your patients/clients?