Research Notes — Pictures that say thousands of words about health care

Between 2006 and 2008, UNMC’s Virginia Aita, Ph.D., and William Lydiatt, M.D., led a unique art project between patients and caregivers.

During the project, which was featured recently on the cover of the British Medical Journal, Scottish artist Mark Gilbert drew or painted 100 portraits of 26 patients and 20 caregivers to illustrate the powerful relationship that exists between them.

Below, Dr. Aita, associate professor in the Center for Humanities, Ethics, and Society in UNMC’s College of Public Health, and Dr. Lydiatt, professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery, share some of the insights they gained during the project.

Scottish Artist Mark Gilbert sketches a portrait during his time at UNMC as part of a unique art project that illustrated the relationship between health care providers and patients. The project was featured in a recent British Medical Journal.

Dr. Aita: “The images captured through the portraits allowed health care providers to see patients as whole people who are not fragmented by diagnosis. The paintings also revealed the level of commitment of caregivers. You can see it in their eyes.

“Perhaps health care policy discussions could be enriched if the arts were used to show health care professionals and the public how the delivery of care affects patients and caregivers.”

Dr. Lydiatt: “We found that there is a strong reciprocal relationship between caregivers and patients, and we found that roles can frequently interchange. The fluidity between caregiving and receiving was one of the most striking findings. We also heard about the stress of caregiving from both the lay and professional staff.”