L’impatto delle Medical Humanities nella formazione delle professioni sanitarie e nelle pratiche di cura. una revisione narrativa

In the international arena, there is a broad debate about the importance of including Medical Humanities in the education of health professionals. On the one hand a large part of the available literature highlights the several benefits of the impact of these disciplines on the competence and skills of doctors and other health professionals, which are deemed useful in improving their care practices. On the other hand, some scholars complain that these studies are not rigorous enough, and that the evidence they provide is fragmented and limited. This article, based on a narrative review, gives an account of this debate, highlighting the different theoretical-epistemological approaches that support the discussion, the methodological weaknesses and the main findings of the studies. In the conclusion, some suggestions for future research are provided and it is recommended that an integrative approach be adopted, both from a theoretical-epistemological and a methodological point of view: this will make it possible to assess the outcomes of Medical Humanities for health professionals and care practices.