On the usefulness of humanities as a teaching method in health science education

Abstract

The techno-scientific advance in the 20th century has exacerbated the feeling that humanities are useless for the training of health professionals. The development of scientific medicine and therapeutic advances in the last two centuries have modified the focus of attention of many professionals and universities, moving from focusing on patients towards privileging the focus of attention on diseases, their diagnosis and treatment. In recent decades, the success of evidence-based medicine and the increasing availability of technology have exacerbated this situation. However, it is evident that there is a growing need to return to humanities in health sciences. Disciplinary traditions such as the "medical humanities" involve reincorporating elements of history, literature, art, or cinema, for a better understanding of patients and their feelings. In this essay we highlight the contributions of the humanities in the teaching of health sciences, pointing out that they are not simply an indispensable complement to university training, and we recommend including them in the curricula to ensure that there are more empathetic professionals to treat patients and diseases.