The Communication Potentials and Challenges of Arts-Based Programming in Health Care Settings

Abstract

Creative, arts-based programming is an important therapeutic tool in health care. Although clinical integration of the arts is on the rise, creative programming remains a relatively new endeavor for artists, patients, and health care providers. This case study encourages readers to grapple with the communicative challenges of DooR to DooR (D2D), a non-profit, healing arts organization that connects professional artists with patients for weekly performances at the University of North Carolina (UNC) Hospitals. Guided by narrative theory, the case study highlights the function of storytelling and other forms of art in the health care context and the potential therapeutic benefits for patients, family members, artists, and hospital staff alike.