Impressionism and the Art of Communication 2.5 Credits/Maximum of 2.5

Catalog description

This four-week Humanities Selective will be offered once a year during Phase-4, building on medical communication skills learned in earlier phases. Communicating effectively with patients is a critical skill necessary for physicians across all specialties. It is a competency that can be studied and learned, and then fine-tuned over time. Possessing techniques that facilitate good medical communication can increase patient satisfaction, reduce patient's mental and physical distress, and ultimately result in improved health of individuals and populations. Understanding the importance of providing the patient with space to tell their story can result in improved understanding and a more efficient diagnostic process. Recognizing the value of observation can increase a physician's sensitivity to patients and diagnostic clues. An awareness of preconceptions when caring for patients, especially those that are different from us, can help to guard against cognitive bias. In addition, appreciating different interactive styles can help physicians deal more effectively with a variety of challenging patients. The Impressionist Movement of the late 19th century created a novel approach to communication through painting that was distinct from accepted artistic standards of that time. This new painting style fostered a more open and less rigid approach to communication on the artist's canvas. It also embraced the art of observation in the natural setting, and in the process challenged the cognitive bias of that generation about what art had value and worth. The impressionists presented a challenging cadre of artists, each with their own communication style whose behavior was frequently a reflection of mental or physical illness, much like our patients demonstrate. As such, the painters that launched the Impressionist Movement over a century ago can provide a useful metaphor to study effective approaches to medical communication in the present. The course will consist of a Standardized Patient session at the beginning and end of the course. This selective is delivered as six classes, each covering a different topic: Introduction to Painting as Communication, Structure vs. Space, The Art of Observation, Cognitive Bias, The Challenging Patient., and Reflection and Communication through Art. Dialogue on these topics is facilitated through the use of selected readings/film/ video, written assignments, team-based learning and pre-learning prior to class. Active learning is promoted through both individual and team-based painting exercises at University Park Campus and Penn State School of Visual Art, and observational exercises at Penn State University's Palmer Museum of Art. Two interactive presentations by a Penn State professor of Art History help to ground students in understanding the Impressionist Movement and sets the stage to compare communication through art and medical communication with patients.