by Melissa Helwig

A new graphic medicine section has been added to the collection at the Kellogg Health Sciences Library!

Graphic medicine refers to illness or health narratives in the form of comics that can be either fiction or non-fiction materials (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2018). As an approachable medium, graphic medicine can provide insight into a wide variety of health and medical scenarios, told from both the patient and healthcare provider perspective. Though literature has long been used within medicine to encourage reflection and understanding regarding patient experiences, graphic medicine has only been recognized as a valuable medium for health information within the past decade (Williams, 2012).

A unique feature of graphic medicine publications is their potential to encourage readers, including students, patients, relatives and healthcare providers, to relate to the narrative and show empathy towards the characters (McNicol, 2017). More specifically, graphic medicine can be used to increase public awareness and understanding about illness and health, prepare patients for medical procedures, and assist with patient care decision-making (McNicol, 2017). It can also provide a way for healthcare providers and trainees to better understand how patients experience illness (Green & Myers, 2010).

You can also peruse some of the new titles on the Medical Humanities LibGuide, which includes titles in Halifax and Dalhousie Medicine NB. Pick up a graphic medicine novel and let us know what you think!

A huge thank you to our Kellogg Library Intern – Kristy Hancock – from the School of Information Management. Kristy used the skills developed in her Information Resources Management course, as well health sciences library experience gained during her internship, to curate a short list for the Kellogg Librarians and Staff to review in developing this collection.

For further reading on Graphic Medicine:

Green, M., & Myers, K. (2010). Graphic medicine: Use of comics in medical education and patient care. BMJ, 340(7746), 574-577. doi: 10.1136/bmj.c863

McNicol, S. (2017). The potential of educational comics as a health information medium. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 34(1), 20-31. doi: 10.1111/hir.12145

Williams, I. (2012). Graphic medicine: Comics as medical narrative. Medical Humanities, 38(1), 21-27. doi: 10.1136/medhum-2011-010093

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2018). Graphic medicine: Ill-conceived & well-drawn. Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/graphicmedicine/