McKinney, D. W. (2023). Graphic medicine: comics redraw health narratives. Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved from https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/graphic-medicine-comics-redraw-health-narratives/
ABSTRACT:
There is currently no substantial empirical data on the impact of graphic narratives in medical settings. However, these narratives provide anecdotal but highly detailed accounts that could improve how medical professionals assess patients and administer care. When people, identifying as medical patients or not, are unable to thoroughly vocalize the extent of their illnesses, graphic-medicine narratives provide a medium for them to better recognize and communicate their symptoms and needs. These stories peel away layers of confusion separating the affected person from medical professionals and the community at large, creating a twofold revelation. For medical professionals, graphic medicine demonstrates the greater nuance necessary to complement information taught in healthcare education and training settings. For people who once believed that their troublesome experiences were normal, graphic medicine reveals difficult truths to the contrary