Narrative interviews, social suffering, and epistemic injustice in medical training: an experience report

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: This experience report discusses the integration of Narrative Medicine with the concepts of social suffering and epistemic injustice in medical education, highlighting its relevance to the humanization of healthcare. Experience report: Based on a training proposal with students from the University’s Mandatory Mental Health Internship (IOSM), Narrative Medicine is used as a tool to value and incorporate patients’ stories with clinical relevance, addressing challenges such as excessive technicality and dehumanization. The report explores how this approach, combined with the concepts of social suffering and epistemic injustice, can transform medical practice by expanding the understanding of the transversal nature of mental health issues, fostering genuine empathy, validating the patient’s perspective, and promoting an understanding of the social determinants of health. Discussion: A clinical instrument consisting of guiding questions, grounded in the studied concepts, has been proposed for incorporation into the clinical toolkit of newly trained physicians. Conclusion: The positive reception from students, along with identified points of resistance, highlighted the need for further research to validate both the concepts and the clinical instrument for their regular inclusion in medical education. The experience reported here suggests potential to foster the implementation of the new National Curriculum Guidelines (DCN, 2025) by equipping medical practice with communication skills, the promotion of epistemic justice, and the humanization of care.