Abstract

Trisha Greenhalgh, GP and Professor of Primary Health Care, works in deprived inner-city London. Faced daily with the mismatch between didactic evidence-based medicine and the messy realities of her patients’ lives, she will speak about the power of storytelling – using personal illness stories in support and education groups – to engage with hard to reach patients. Research routinely shows that access to health services in Britain is greatest in the white middle classes, with many ethnic minority groups failing to get the care that they need. This affects both patient care and the quality and quantity of research available to advance treatment in these populations. Trisha will discuss how storytelling can radically improve treatment, and the powerful effects of different narratives in reaching specific groups.