The Arts, Medicine, and Why Both Go Hand In Hand

Many people see medicine as a field ruled primarily by scientific knowledge. However, providing the best medical services possible does not only take research and data but also entails the integration of the arts.

In honor of National Arts Month this February, we take a look into how the arts impact medical practices and how it is beneficial to both practitioner and patient. The many mediums of art from painting, music, and literature, to dance, if utilized well can lead to increased understanding of patients, advancements in practice, and more efficient learning.?

The Arts in Medical Education and Therapy

Although medical students are required to learn and master clinical skills and knowledge, the integration of art in their training proved to be effective in promoting understanding of their lessons. According to Gary Christenson, M.D. in his article “Why We Need the Arts in Medicine” when Harvard Medical School conducted formal training that consisted of art observation exercises, fine art in the context of physical diagnosis, and life-drawing sessions, it resulted in improved visual diagnostic skills.

Christenson mentioned how various methods of therapy such as art therapy, music therapy, dance therapy, and poetry therapy have long been approaches to improve emotional health for patients. Dance has been seen to help patients who have Parkinson's disease and fibromyalgia in terms of improving their mobility.?

The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts have created programs to help patients with Alzheimer’s disease by evoking memories using visual stimuli. In addition, Christenson also studied how methods of art therapy have been shown to decrease stress levels and provide a platform for emotional expression.?

The Arts and Well-being

The arts can be an excellent way to promote healing in all aspects. Gary Christenson, M.D. stated that physical exercise, though essential for physical health, can be quite a difficult task for patients to follow. However, Christenson found dance to be quite an effective and more interactive way of encouraging physical activity.?

Apart from the various health benefits that dancing brings, it also promotes social interaction among patients and has been seen to be one of the most effective activities to delay cognitive decline in relation to Alzheimer’s disease.?

Christenson also stated that in terms of patient experience, patients tend to show signs of decreased stress and anxiety if their environment contained landscapes of art relating to nature. Visits by musicians or artists can also help patients in exploring more about their condition. Mayo Clinic’s Art at the Bedside Program encourages artists to work with patients using various mediums such as watercolor, clay, music, poetry, and journaling to ensure a better patient experience.?

Medical professionals may also benefit from the arts when it comes to their profession. Pursuing arts can become an avenue for medical professionals to have a sense of exploration, encourage creativity, and can be a form of relaxation to ease away from work stress.?

Literature and Its Contribution to Patient Care

Understanding and compassion are essential elements of practicing good medicine. As P Ann Scott indicated in her research “The relationship between the arts and medicine”, with characters and stories in literary works, people can gain points of view aside from their own. Learning these types of insights enables practitioners to connect with patients on a deeper level with a stronger sense of awareness and perception of how to treat them.?

To add to literature’s contribution to the medical field, Scott also mentioned how studying literature enriches the understanding of language. Having a rich understanding of vocabulary improves the thought processes of practitioners and provides a wider range of concepts and ideas that can be utilized in patient care.?

Art bears its own natural healing elements, which makes its impact in the medical field in terms of education, therapy, overall well-being, and patient care uniquely effective. When integrated together into practice, both arts and medicine can improve the quality of service of practitioners and the experience of patients.?

With both arts and medicine being greatly connected, companies and medical professionals should highly consider merging the arts more and more in both education and practice.?