Health Humanities for Quality of Care in Times of COVID -19

The Covid pandemic has led us into an upheaval that has made us question the certainties underlying what it means to be a human being in our age; the ability to control medical and social facts through evidence. For the first-time western and developed countries have had to confront what many populations from the developing world (Africa. Latin America, etc) face on a daily basis with HIV and Ebola, etc. The Interconnectedness of Globalization has been the real disseminating catalyst of COVID 19, and many scientists wonder if this virus is the result of the Anthropocene age, with its indisputable lack of respect for the natural ecosystems. The virus has demonstrated that our frailty is only skin deep, and it has not only brought death, despair, but it has broken our interdependency as human beings, by imposing self- isolation as well as creating new ways of connections so that safety cannot imply loneliness. In this book, the coping strategies that originate from the multiple languages of care such as narrative, literature, science, philosophy, art, digital science are shown not only as reflective tools to promote health but also wellbeing amongst carers, patients, students, and citizens of our planet Earth. These strategies should be supported by the decision makers since they are low-cost investments necessary to make the health care system work. They however require a change of cultural paradigm. This book is a useful toolkit for patients, citizens and care services physicians who want to learn more on how to live better with this new world. Preface 6 Contents 10 Introduction 12 1: The Grand Narrative of COVID-19 Pandemic, Among Health, Science, History, and Citizenship 15 From the Spanish Flu to the Covid Age 16 The Grand Narrative of Evidence-Based and Narrative Medicine 19 The Citizenship Grand Narrative 22 Learning from the Myth 24 References 26 2: Long Covid, Medical Research and the Life-World: A View from Bioanthropology 27 Introduction 27 Part I 28 Part II 30 Part III 31 Take a Wide View of Any Aspect of the Formation of Long Covid 34 Embrace Heterogeneity 35 Facilitate Cross-Cultural Comparisons, Giving Full Attention to the Experience of the Developing World 35 Conclusion 35 References 36 3: Looking Behind the Veil: Why Narrative Medicine Matters in Times of Uncertainties 38 Looking Behind the Veil 38 Narrative Medicine and Bioethics 41 Pandemic Narratives and Art: Bridge to the Future 46 References 48 4: The Consolation of the Written Word: Reading to Engage and Escape Our Pandemic Year 50 References 59 5: Without Words: The Art and Therapy of Grief and Loss in Pandemic Times 60 Situating the Author and Chapter 60 Art in Death and Dying 62 Art Therapy in Palliative Care and Bereavement 63 Interview with Sarah Tevyaw, Art’s Therapist 63 Interview with Karine Bouchard, Art Therapist 65 Grief and the Fine Arts Museum During the Pandemic 66 The Art of the Memorial 70 Discussion 71 References 71 6: Spirituality as the Basis and Foundation of the Medical Profession 74 What is a Physician? 74 Doctor-Patient Relationship 75 Biological Sphere 76 Psychological Sphere 77 Social Sphere 77 Spiritual Sphere 78 Patient Spirituality 78 Physicians 79 Patients 80 Conclusion 80 References 81 7: Covid 19 and Butterfly Thinking in the Flow of Time 83 Introduction 84 Time Present (In-Covid Age): Freedom and Normality 85 Time Past (Ante-Covid Age): Mimesis and Solitude 88 Time Future (Post-Covid Age): Uncertainty and Ancestor 90 Conclusion: Stillness 93 Postscript 94 COVID-19 Pandemic, Possible Condition for Homecoming 96 Amid a Pandemic Crisis 96 Human as Dasein 97 Unconcealment of the Homelessness- (Unheimlichkeit) 98 Reflection on Homelessness of the Modern Health System 101 A Way Towards the Possible Condition for Homecoming 103 References 105 8: Heroes, or Rather Not. The Healthcare Professionals’ Year of the Pandemic 108 Being Healthcare Providers Before the Pandemic 108 Then, the Pandemic Came 109 Today, Not Heroes Anymore 111 Resources for Tomorrow, to Bring Wellbeing 113 Why Writing About the Healthcare Professionals’ Experiences? 115 References 116 9: So Far, So Near: Telemedicine Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic 118 The Recipients of Telemedicine Services 119 Is It Possible to Remain “Clinical”, Even at a “Distance”? 120 The Limits of Telemedicine and Remote Visits 121 The Evaluation of the Patient in an Ecological Context 121 Telemedicine for Screening and Monitoring 122 Telerehabilitation for Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy 122 Does the Patient “Feel Cured”? 124 Possible Solutions and Methodologies 124 The Patient Perception: Is the Cure Real or Virtual? 125 References 127 10: Rethinking Sustainability in Healthcare in Times of COVID-19 128 Sustainable Post COVID-19 Healthcare Mindset 130 What Is Sustainability and Sustainable Development? 131 Sustainable Healthcare 133 Sustainable Development Goals for Post COVID-19 Healthcare 136 Post COVID-19 Sustainable Ideas and NHS Sustainability Model 137 Conclusion 140 References 143 11: Maybe In, Maybe Out, May Be with the Pandemic 145 The Gift of the Bio-Psycho- Social and Existential Model 148 Tell Me Where Do the Children Play 151 The Play 153 References 157 Glossary 159 Art Therapy 159 Bioethics 159 Coping 160 COVID-19 and Long Covid 161 Ecosystem 161 Humanities for Health/Health Humanities 162 Metaphor 163 Narrative Medicine 164 Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) 164 Pandemic 165 Pandemic Fatigue 166 Telemedicine 166 Wellbeing 167 Biographies of the Editors and Authors 169 Biographies of the Authors 171