The Patient Voices Approach

Hardy and Sumner, co-founders of the Patient Voices Programme, set out their approach to reflective digital storytelling, grounding it firmly in the ‘classical’ model developed by StoryCenter. The authors make a helpful distinction between story, narrative and anecdote and discuss the role of the ‘dragon’ in stories of any importance. Hardy and Sumner then outline what happens in a typical Patient Voices workshop and explain the adaptations that may be necessary for working in the healthcare context. They highlight the need for agile, adaptive and reflexive facilitation and the importance of hospitality as a means of recognising, acknowledging and respecting both our similarities and our differences—our shared humanity. Finally, they advocate appropriate supervision to ensure the safety of storytellers and facilitators alike.