The patient's heroic journey

The purpose of this study is to reinforce the notion that not only is the patient the focus of decisions on the pathway to recovery through the healthcare system, but this requires the support and cooperation of many healthcare professionals. By using a storytelling arc and character archetypes taken from the narrative theory of cinema, it shows how the patient's decisionpathway is similar to the journey of the hero in film, and that healthcare professionals have key and supporting roles in this story. It results in healthcare professionals matching specific archetypes encountered in film, and equates stages of the decisions pathway to events in film structure. The outcome emphasises the patient-centred approach and the necessity of interprofessional cooperation.