Healthcare Education: Can Literary Narratives Address Occupational Therapy’s ‘Incongruence’ in Values?

Abstract

Occupational therapy may be facing an incongruence in values. A growing body of literature, based on occupational therapy documentation and the perspectives of clients, suggests the profession is more focused on productivity and institutional demands than the individualized needs of clients. A proposed solution in occupational therapy education is the critical reading of literary narratives with qualities of complex characters, sensory evoking language, and the subjective truths of the individual experience. This is proposed because empathy has been shown to improve client outcomes and the reading of literary narratives has been shown to improve levels of empathy. Instruction through literary narratives, versus medicalized case studies or videos, may help occupational therapists practice with consilience, regain what is threatened, and provide more impactful and empathic-centered care.

Keywords:

• Case studies
• client-centered care
• consilience
• empathy
• literary narratives
• theory of mind

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank the contributions of Dr. Elizabeth DePoy, Ph.D., Dr. Stephen Gilson, Ph.D., and Dr. Lynn Gitlow, Ph.D., OTR/L, ATP, FAOTA to this article.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Cavenaugh Kelly

Cavenaugh Kelly, PhD, MS, OTR/L, is an assistant professor in occupational therapy at Husson University in Bangor, Maine, in the United States. Teaching empathy and client-centered care through literary narratives is subject of his dissertation and ongoing research at Husson.