The importance of listening between patients and healthcare practitioners

This clip from the documentary "LIke Rembrandt Draperies: A Portrait of Cathy Tingle" broaches the topic of what happens when a team of doctors is treating one patient. Communication between team members can be difficult to orchestrate but the consequences to the patient for this lack of good back and forth communication can be life threatening.

This moving documentary tells the story of Cathy Tingle, a women who lived with serious cancer (endometrial cancer and adenocarcinoma) for 10 years. The film provides an intimate portrait of her encounters with the health care system, her unique approach to life and death, her relationship with her oncologist, and her community. Through interviews with Cathy at the end of her life, and interviews with her oncologist, friends and family, we learn about Cathys choices to live a simple, rural lifestyle emphasizing family and community; the use of both biomedical and complementary therapies in caring for her health; her special relationship with her oncologist; and her feelings about dying. We also see the unique way in which the community participates in her death and burial. Much of the film focuses on what Cathy needed from health care providers during her odyssey with cancer and how her oncologist cultivated a partnership and friendship with Cathy as part of her care. Because Cathy outlived her prognosis by almost 10 years, her experience of "end of life" care was extensive. This is meant to be an evocative film raising issues about living with cancer, relationships between patients and providers, alternative therapies and lifestyles, the meaning of dying and rituals around death.

The content of this videotape is appropriate for classes addressing health and illness, health communication, death and dying, and end of life care. It is also appropriate for liberal arts audiences, health care professions audiences and the general public. Particular organizations that may have interest include Hospice, Cancer support services, Funeral homes, and Pastoral services.

A detailed discussion guide accompanies the film and provides specific discussion questions for each of the key themes in the film, as well as some suggestions for contexts in which the film can be used. For more information contact Robin Gate (Producer) at: www.lifeworksvideo.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Medical
• education
• communication
• doctor
• patient
• documentary
• teaching tool
• Lisa Kaplan
• Marcy Rosenbaum
• end of life
• palliative
• care
• Lexington
• Kentucky
• Iowa
• Rembrandt
• Cathy Tingle
• Cancer
• Alternative medicine
• listening