Why I use drawing and creative processes during the GP consultation.

Abstract

Our lectures in medical school use lots of images, cartoons, animations, and demonstration models, and we are already used to a little drawing — pointing to the anatomical posters in our rooms, the ‘clock test’ for inattention post-stroke, and the interlocking pentagons during dementia screening. The lung fields often marked with crosses or musical notes communicate findings between physicians. I use metaphor and drawing in consultations to improve understanding, compliance, and rapport — especially with patients with dementia and learning disability. This is a natural vehicle for me because I went to art school and have been trained in translating complex ideas into imagery. I’ve often found myself drawing a uterus and, in showing the spiral arteries as a live drawing and …