Museum Paths in Medical Education to Improve Patient Care and Outcomes

Abstract

Contemporary society strongly demands that attention be paid to patient dignity, that the patient and their relatives be in- volved in therapeutic decisions, and that patients be cared for with professionalism and sensitivity.Since the ‘sick role’ involves a person’s most intimate needs, care must also depend on a broader system of values, skills and sensitivity on the part of both the doctor and the patient. With this in mind, Medical Humanities can offer young stu- dents the tools they need for a new and fully patient-centred approach. And, in particular, as the authors evidence in this text, specific pathways set up within scientific museums can be fundamental for future doctors to learn not only to treat diseases but also to take care of patients, once again placing them at the centre of the illness experience.