ABSTRACT
This chapter continues to explore narrative medicine in the human field. While narrative medicine can be most easily classified as a communications approach, this is an oversimplification, and an exploration of related fields provides an overview of both the background and scope of the topic as it pertains to veterinary medicine.
Ethics and philosophy allow practitioners to consider the meaning of practice and to evaluate moral stress, while the field of medical humanities can help create a tradition of reflection. Pediatric narrative medicine is arguably most similar to veterinary medicine. Mindfulness can help practitioners be fully present to receive their client’s story, and aid in stress relief as well. The fields of psychology, sociology, and social work can help clinicians better understand their client’s needs and backgrounds. Holistic and integrative medicine can provide examples of taking a wider approach to medical practice. Hospice and palliative care are becoming more widely utilized in veterinary medicine. Finally, the field of One Health looks to the connections between human and animal.
