Evaluation of a flexible artist-facilitated storytelling intervention on a palliative care unit.

Abstract

Context: Narrative interventions have been shown to be appropriate and feasible in palliative care for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals alike. However, such interventions lack customizability, are resource and time intensive, and are often facilitated by clinical staff who have minimal training in story development.

Objectives: Evaluate a single, brief, artist-facilitated storytelling session on a palliative care unit and analyze stories with the five elements of close reading in narrative medicine.

Methods: A professional storyteller facilitated sessions with patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals on a palliative care unit, starting with an open-ended question (e.g., "What story do you want to tell?"). Through a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, participants quantitatively assessed the appropriateness, acceptability, feasibility, worthwhileness, meaningfulness, and emotional resonance of the intervention, triangulated with rapid analysis of a semi-structured interview with the storyteller. We subsequently analyzed story content with the five elements of close reading in narrative medicine.

Results: From 18 sessions, patients (n=6), caregivers (n=8), and healthcare professionals (n=6), found the storytelling session acceptable, appropriate, feasible, meaningful and worthwhile. The storyteller perceived participants as enthusiastic and appreciative. She recommended storytellers be available, accessible, and adaptable to participants' time and energy. Patient and caregiver stories described the palliative care unit as a calm site of reflection, and framed illness as a journey. Healthcare professionals' stories reflected pride in and gratitude for their work.

Conclusions: A single, brief, artist-facilitated storytelling session is acceptable, feasible, and appropriate on a palliative care unit. Story content focused on the benefits of palliative care.