Understanding the person: insights into the patient experience
The Newcomb Library is collecting books to facilitate understanding of patients, carers, service users and caregivers by healthcare staff.
During which period did you implement your innovation?
From 2010 - ongoing
What was the driver for your innovation?
Healthcare libraries and knowledge services (LKS) provide books and e-books on clinical and non-clinical topics to address the needs of all healthcare staff and students. The books provided are primarily directly work-related, covering clinical topics and ancillary subjects such as management, study skills etc. In addition, some LKS provide well-being and small fiction collections. However, on the whole, LKS are not systematically collecting material that records patient and carer perspectives on their illnesses and the care they receive.
What did you do?
In 2010, a consultant psychiatrist donated over 20 cartoon books to the Newcomb Library. The books, also known as graphic novels, have medical or psychological themes, presenting these in a visually-arresting and highly original manner. They focus on subjects such as cancer, depression and child abuse and provide a rich insight into the experiences of patients and carers.
Following a display of the books, which resulted in many of them being borrowed, we realised that these titles filled a gap in our collection. We have since built on the initial collection by continuing to acquire further medically-themed graphic novels, using the Graphic Medicine website as a source of inspiration.
We have recently expanded the remit of our purchasing to include memoirs and novels – also with medical themes. The books are not shelved separately, but are classified by subject, e.g., eating disorders, sepsis, etc. and are integrated with the main book stock.
Evidence suggests that reading a graphic novel or memoir enables health care professionals to gain an insight into medical conditions from a patient perspective. Visual images and powerful memoirs can also be used in conjunction with other patient information to assist patients in the understanding of their conditions.
What methods were used to evaluate your innovation?
- Analysis of loan statistics
- Direct e-mail seeking feedback to those who had borrowed books in this category
- Unsolicited comments from library users who are sometimes surprised to find these items in the collection
- Repeat visits to borrow, once a user has discovered the books
What were the outcomes and key learning points?
Positive feedback and interest from our users shows they are interested in books that provide an insight into patient and carer experiences, for example, a consultant recently recommended our collection to all the new paediatric trainees. Users now recommend such books to us and, where possible, we respond positively to their suggestions.
As our funds are limited, we cannot purchase every medically-themed novel, graphic novel or memoir that is published. We use book reviews and websites such as Graphic Medicine for selection purposes, as well as user requests and we try to fill gaps in terms of subject coverage.
We have found that the books’ visually arresting covers have also attracted attention when we have displayed them at Trust awareness events, often allowing library staff to engage with hospital staff members who would not consider that the library has something to offer them. This has been a beneficial marketing opportunity for the library, encouraging non-users into the library.
In terms of marketing, website features, the Trust e-newsletter and Twitter have all proved successful.
By providing a graphic novel and memoir collection the Newcomb Library is making a positive contribution to the overall patient experience at Homerton University Hospital.
Further Information
Discover the collection at Newcomb Library or view tweets about it.
Go to Graphic Medicine
Micheal J. Green, Kimberly R. Myers; Graphic medicine: use of comics in medical education and patient care. BMJ 2010; v. 340, c863
Sarah McNicol; The potential of educational comics as a health information medium. Health Information & Libraries Journal 2017; v. 34 (1), p. 20–31
Anthony Farthing, Ernesto Priego; Graphic Medicine’ as a mental health information resource: insights from comics producers. The Comics Grid
Submitted by Kaye Bagshaw, Library Manager, Newcomb Library, Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust