Leading Through Stories: How to Meaningfully Engage with Patient Stories

In the realm of healthcare, the power of storytelling is often an undervalued asset. Yet, it is through the rich tapestry of patient narratives that medical professionals can gain insights far beyond the reach of traditional medical education. This very concept is the focus of a Leading Through Stories podcast episode featuring Dr. Mike Lang, the founder of Common Language Digital Storytelling, and his co-author, cancer survivor Vikram Bubber. They delve into the transformative potential of patient stories in medicine and how these narratives can significantly enhance the empathy and understanding of healthcare providers.

Patient stories are not merely recollections of medical events but are windows into the emotional and psychological journeys of individuals facing health challenges. Vikram Bubber’s own experience with Rhabdomyosarcoma serves as a poignant example of the resilience and vulnerability that accompany a cancer diagnosis. By sharing his story digitally, Vikram does not just recount his battle but invites listeners to walk alongside him through his transformative journey. It is in these shared experiences that healthcare providers can find deeper connections with those they serve, fostering a more compassionate and patient-centered approach to care.

The episode also discusses the crucial role of digital storytelling in the context of continuing medical education. The digital narrative, when crafted with care and intention, serves as a dynamic educational tool. It offers healthcare professionals a nuanced understanding of patient experiences, one that goes beyond textbooks and lectures. As Mike explains, the art of creating a digital story is about honouring the storyteller, ensuring that their voice is not only heard but also felt and understood.

The conversation sheds light on a groundbreaking paper by Dr. Lang and Vikram Bubber titled ‘Pressure: How to Meaningfully Engage with Patient Stories.‘ in the Journal of Medical Imaging and Radiation Sciences. This paper presents three pivotal questions designed to guide healthcare professionals in their engagement with patient narratives. These questions encourage active learning and reflection, pushing providers to absorb and act upon the insights shared by patients. It marks a significant step toward integrating patient stories into the fabric of medical literature, thus shaping a more holistic form of healthcare wisdom.

Question 1:
What resonates with me in the story?

Question 2:
What does this mean to me?

Questions 3:
What wisdom can I draw from the story?

Through this episode, the audience is invited to rethink the intersection of storytelling and medicine. It is a call to embrace the emotional depth and instructional value of patient narratives. The podcast emphasizes that each story is not just a recount but an opportunity for growth and learning. By engaging with these stories, healthcare providers can improve the quality of care they provide, understanding the varied challenges their patients face throughout their healthcare journeys.

In essence, this podcast episode is more than just a discussion; it is a blueprint for a healthcare system that values the stories of its patients as much as their symptoms. It is a testament to the fact that, within each narrative, lies the potential to transform the practice of medicine and enrich the lives of both patients and providers.

About the Authors

Michael Lang is a health researcher, filmmaker, professional Digital Storytelling facilitator and Adjunct Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Calgary. He has facilitated the creation of over 900 digital stories with a diverse cross-section of patients, family caregivers, and health care professionals around the world and founded a training organization for Digital Storytelling facilitation called Common Language Digital Storytelling. Mike has also directed and produced four feature-length documentaries, two short documentaries, and three web series about the human health experience in addition to numerous health education curriculums. His professional and research focus is on using digital storytelling and documentary filmmaking in education, advocacy, research, and a therapeutic capacity within healthcare and wellness contexts. Connect with him via www.mikelangstories.com or commonlanguagedst.org.

Vikram Bubber is a childhood and young adult cancer survivor. Vikram has been a patient advocate for more than 20 years and a community advocate for the last 6 years. He is actively engaged in public speaking at different post-secondary institutions and working on several committees within different health authorities and organizations both locally and nationally.

About Leading Through Stories

Everyone has a story to tell—and what we do with that story can create lasting impact. Every episode, Leading Through Stories, helps unravel the how and why of digital storytelling with host Kristy Wolfe.

Life is made up of meaningful moments—which ones do you want to share?

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Youth Mental Health & Storyteller Wellbeing – Co-Created

If you care about ethical storytelling in mental health, this conversation gets right to the heart of it: how do you share lived experience in a way that informs others without forcing storytellers to relive the hardest parts again and again?Kristy Wolfe is joined by Katelyn Greer, a lived experience leader whose work spans Kickstand, peer support, youth engagement, and research. Together they revisit the digital story Katelyn created about child abuse, foster care, suicidality, and survival—and why the digital storytelling process felt different from a live interview or repeated public retelling.They talk about what a group workshop can make possible, why feedback helps sharpen the real message of a story, and how digital stories can become powerful tools for staff education, training modules, advocacy, and systems change.You’ll also hear a thoughtful discussion about what audiences miss when they default to “resilience,” why storyteller wellbeing and consent matter, and how lived experience leadership is reshaping research and youth-serving systems.In this episode:- Why digital storytelling can reduce re-traumatization- What made creating a story in community feel supportive- How Katelyn’s story has been used in mental health and training contexts- Why “resilience” can sometimes distract from accountability- How lived experience is shaping peer support and research- Why there are many paths into leadership, advocacy, and academiaA grounded, generous conversation for facilitators, researchers, nonprofits, caregivers, and anyone using digital stories with care.Other Links MentionedKatelyn's digital storyThis episode's blog postKatelyn's websiteImagine Citizens NetworkApathy is BoringDr. Georgina (Gina) DimitropoulosPaCER – Patient and Community Engagement Research, University of CalgaryAbout Our GuestKatelyn Greer is a lived-experience leader and researcher whose work in child and youth mental health is deeply informed by her own experiences of child abuse and neglect, childhood adversity, and involvement with the foster care system. Much of her work has grown from a desire to transform deeply difficult experiences into something meaningful, using what she has lived through to help create better experiences, systems, and opportunities for young people today. She leads peer support implementation for Kickstand, Alberta’s Integrated Youth Services Hubs, and also works in youth engagement and research at the University of Calgary. Her work focuses on child maltreatment, trauma, peer support, and meaningful youth engagement, with a particular interest in creating safer, more ethical ways for young people to participate in research, storytelling, and the systems that affect their lives. She is especially interested in how lived experience can be shared in ways that are powerful and meaningful while protecting the dignity, agency, and wellbeing of the person sharing their story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. Youth Mental Health & Storyteller Wellbeing 26:41
2. Can a Story Change Veterinary Medicine? 27:40
3. Digital Stories in Community-Based Research with Carolyn Brandly 30:02
4. Using Digital Stories in Clinician Training with Dr. Tricia Williams 30:41
5. Digital Stories Belong in Curriculum & Communities with Dr. Mike Lang 29:05

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