Narrative communication uses stories to convey information or opinions. It is used to recount past events, provide context, influence opinions, and entertain. It has been important in medicine, but is becoming less necessary with advanced diagnostic tools.
Narrative communication is a form of communication based on using stories to communicate information or opinion. Most people are used to using narrative communication when telling other people stories from their lives. Narratives are often used to tell a story, but they can also be used to make a point, convey information, or provide valuable context that explains an action or idea. Narratives are often used to influence the opinions of others, both in general interpersonal communication and in advertising. The medical profession has almost always relied on patient narratives to varying degrees, although this becomes less necessary as more advanced diagnostic tools and methods are devised.
One of the simplest purposes of narrative communication is to recount past events. Many aspects of personal identity are defined by one’s experiences and the social impacts of those experiences. Sharing them with others through narrative communication is a common and important social process through which people learn about the lives and experiences of others. Storytelling can provide entertainment in social situations, and a good storyteller can acquire considerable social status through his interesting life experiences and his ability to communicate them in an interesting narrative form.
Many narratives are told for purposes beyond simply entertaining people or recounting past events. Some narrative communications are used to provide support for a point or to put some information into context. A person who is trying to argue against tobacco smoking, for example, might tell a story about a friend or family member who died of lung cancer. This use of narrative communication can be more effective than simply quoting facts and statistics, because it provides an understandable experience. Many television and radio commercials use narrative communication by telling stories of how their products or services have helped people.
Narrative communication has been an important aspect of medical diagnosis and treatment since the earliest days of medicine. When a person is injured or ill, they generally use fiction to explain the events that led up to their condition. Doctors use narratives to explain how patients can act to stay healthy or how they should expect a disease to progress. With modern technologies and diagnostic techniques, patient narratives are becoming less necessary. However, they can still be used to give healthcare professionals a general idea of what is wrong, particularly when the patient’s symptoms are not very visible.
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