My name is Jessica Hao, and I recently graduated from Rice University, where I majored in Business with minors in Biochemistry and Medical Humanities on the pre-dental track. This past year, I had the wonderful opportunity to intern with the Patient Engagement lab through my Rice Medical Humanities Practicum, working closely with Mayra Almendarez, Dr. Waterman, and Catherine Pulicken on the Living Donor Storytelling Project. I was drawn to this lab because of my interest in the organ donation process and how narratives can be integrated into healthcare to create a more patient-facing, empathetic environment.
During my first semester with the lab, I focused on completing a thematic analysis of our video library, understanding common themes amongst the patient stories. From this, I created a zine to showcase these common themes. Watching these stories was a deeply moving experience; hearing patients describe the moment they received “the call” for a transplant often moved me to tears and made me root for their recovery. During this time, I also assisted in collecting new stories directly from patients. Meeting these individuals in person and also recognizing them at future events made the work feel incredibly personal and tangible. At the end of the year for my final research project, I conducted a literature review on the dimensions of stories that move people, and found that both the structural delivery and the emotional content are vital for audience engagement. Going forward, we hope to incorporate this research into future practicums and how to impactfully utilize the patient stories. I even got the chance to present this research at the Humanities Arts Festival at Rice, and it was wonderful to meet and exchange ideas with others passionate about digital storytelling and patient engagement.
As I move into my gap year before applying to dental school, I am incredibly grateful for the support I received at the Patient Engagement Lab. I want to thank Mayra Almendarez, Dr. Waterman, and Catherine Pulicken for always supporting me and allowing my ideas to flourish.
Moving forward, I hope to continue staying engaged with and incorporate patient-centered stories into my approach to care.