Deep Cleanse
Madeleine Gibbard
The patient described how this metaphor spun her view of chemotherapy, and she tried to imagine it as a sort of spa treatment for her internal health which helped her to feel more positive about her treatment.
I was struck by how impactful a doctor’s use of language can be on a patient’s ideas and feelings. His choice of words had changed the patient’s perception of chemotherapy from something poisonous to something revitalising. In order to reassure her, he had identified the patient’s concerns and tailored his explanation of the treatment accordingly. This encounter allowed me to understand the importance of understanding each patient’s ideas, concerns and expectations.
My digital drawing depicts how I imagine the patient reframing the way she thought about chemotherapy. On one side of the bed, an IV drip enters a catheter in her arm, but on the other side, a nurse gives her a manicure. The patient is wearing a towel with cucumber slices on her eyes. This is an exaggerated interpretation of the metaphor used by the doctor, trying to reimagine the hospital as a spa. I have used bright colours for the background and lettering to reflect the positive spin of the doctor’s explanation. In bold pink letters, “think of it as a deep cleanse” is written out, echoing the doctor’s impactful words. I wanted these words to really jump out of the piece, as what had struck me from this story was the power of language.
Communication is a vital part of patient care, and small conversations like this can result in a huge impact on a patient’s health and wellbeing.
I enjoyed using art to reflect on this experience, as it helped me to really consider what I had learned.
Third-Prize winner of the annual EC Creative competition
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This piece of art stood out to me because I like how the hospital treatment is being contrasted to spa treatment. It depicts how with the correct mindset, the toughest challenges we face (e.g. chemotherapy) can be overcome and seen as something powerful. The colourful aspect of the piece also adds a sense of calm to the piece, it is not just white walls like one would expect a hospital to be like, helping the treatment seem more ‘at home’. The bold words “Think of it as a deep cleanse” are also very striking, not only to emphasise the double meaning (spa cleanse versus chemo cleanse) but also to emphasise the importance of communication which is what this artpiece revolves around. It shows how deeply the words of a doctor can affect the patient, and demonstrates how when a doctor can make treatment relatable to a patient – the patient will feel more relaxed about what may come. My favourite part of the piece is how on one side the patient is getting a manicure from a nurse and on the other there is an IV drip. I like how this shows that throughout the treatment nurses and doctors are always with the patient offering support.
This piece struck out to me because it beautifully encapsulates how the words we use as clinicians and future clinicians can really impact the quality of care a patient receives and their experience with the healthcare system. Undergoing chemotherapy is not an easy task and it can have an impact on the patient’s physical and mental health, but by telling the patient to “think of it as a deep cleanse”, gives the patient a greater sense of ownership over their own body and that the treatment they are undergoing is an act of self-care and is a testament of how much they value themselves. Communication skills are vital on the path to becoming a great doctor and I believe that being able to bring different perspectives to a patient can help draw on benefits of certain treatments for them i.e. in this case, it would be chemotherapy and the benefits it had for the patient. Many people often have a fear of hospitals, but to view it as a “spa” and an act of self-service to take care of oneself can help completely shift the stigma and fear some people may have regarding hospitals. This piece also draws upon the positive effects the multidisciplinary team can have on patients, using their skills and expertise to maximise patient care and experience.
This digital drawing caught my interest as it shows the considerable impact that doctor-patient communication can have on the decisions a patient makes. Here, the doctor removed the barrier (consisting of stories the patient had heard and the stereotypes surrounding chemotherapy) by rephrasing the process in a way that she could relate to. The image itself is bright and fun which is a huge contrast to how chemotherapy is often perceived and the effects it can often have on patients. This shows how vital the phrase “think of it as a deep cleanse” was to the patient and that the doctor describing the treatment to her in this way instantly made her feel more motivated and reassured. Receiving treatment is already very nerve-wracking for a lot of patients and so thinking of it in terms of a spa treatment gave the patient the positive spin on chemotherapy she needed to go ahead with it as she was able to associate it with an activity that she viewed as improving her health and wellbeing. This piece has shown me how massive of an impact communication can have on a patient’s future and how important of a skill it is for a great doctor to have.
This piece is particularly striking as it powerfully conveys how patients’ attitudes towards treatment can be completely transformed by just a few simple words. In this case, the doctor’s use of the short phrase ‘deep cleanse’, which is often associated with a relaxing spa treatment, allowed the patient to substitute her negative connotations surrounding chemotherapy and its side effects, for positive thoughts. This effectively captures the power of communication between doctor and patient. I especially liked the use of the colour pink for both the background and the text in this piece, as it creates a theme of harmony and peace. It also contrasts greatly with the usual colours of white and blue that we see in most clinical settings, in order to highlight how doctors can use words to create a far more positive environment and make the patient feel at ease, even during the darkest of times. Ultimately, this piece fantastically demonstrates the huge impact of having good doctor-patient communication. It makes me wonder where this patient would be had the doctor never asked her to think of her treatment in this way.
This piece interested me, as it highlighted the importance of tailoring your communication skills to suit each individual patient and help you to reach their specific needs. In this case, the doctor was able to recognise the patients fears surrounding chemotherapy (including the side effects and associations with serious illness and toxicity) and alleviate them by changing the language surrounding the treatment and therefore the narrative that the patient was associating with it. This removed the barrier surrounding the patient’s access to treatment, allowing them to obtain potentially life saving care. The use of bold colours in this artwork (especially the bright pink background) and the fact that the patient is wearing a towel and cucumbers highlights just how powerful the doctor’s message was as it contrasts with the hospital gowns and plain white walls that a patient may usually be surrounded by in this situation, giving an atmosphere of positivity and rejuvenation to the situation. This complete contrast highlights just how powerful the doctors message was, showing that effective communication and a strong and trusting doctor-patient relationship allow for the improvement of patient experience and therefore health outcomes. Finally the depiction of the Nurse being involved in this spa metaphor highlights the importance of the multidisciplinary team, as they carry on the doctors initial message, ensuring a usually stressful situation is as relaxed as possible for the patient.
This art piece grabbed my interest as it highlighted how perspective and attitudes influence the quality of care and how the patient receives it. The doctor really listened and understood how the patient’s second hand experiences of chemotherapy created a fear inside, and the simple words of ‘a deep cleanse’ compared it to something that the patient was familiar and comfortable with. The pink colours could be seen as viewing her world through ‘rose tinted glasses’ which contrasts the blue hospital equipment. This attitude will help her both physically and mentally, making the treatment more likely to work and improve her quality of life. The involvement of the nurse creates a collaborative environment of both medical and social aid, highlighting the importance of the multidisciplinary team in looking after patients wellbeing. As mentioned by the artist, language is very important in doctor-patient relationship to reassure and gain trust in the patient.
I greatly enjoyed both looking at the artwork and reading the abstract explaining the thought process behind the piece. I found the art style very cute and fun to look at, emphasising how medicine doesn’t have to always be seen as as a bleak and serious occupation. I also liked how they contrasted the catheter and the manicure to highlight the patient’s change in perspective on healthcare. I would completely agree and say that a doctor plays a major role in their patients outlook on their wellbeing, treatment, and the healthcare system. Thus by using the correct language, a doctor can help build rapport and trust with their patients, ensuring that their patient maintains a positive outlook on their situation.
This piece of art really stood out to me for its basic visual representation which actually encompasses a very deep meaning behind it. The fact that so many people are scared and anxious about treatments for cancer such as chemotherapy, is no secret. However, the way that the doctor helped to alleviate the fears of the patient so quickly and easily was so well visually represented in this artwork. The visual representation of the woman looking like she’s at a spa, whilst the doctor sits at her bedsit to deliver the chemotherapy, is miles away from the thoughts that many other patients go through. The bright colours that are used for the artwork are a far cry away from the doom and gloom that chemotherapy and cancer can evoke, which could have been portrayed through more dull colours. Overall, the artwork does a brilliant job at bringing the message of hope out through from the doctor to the patient, in an otherwise quite sad and dark time for many.