Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38451286›Full record

ArticleIntensive care medicine2024

Through the looking glass: qualitative study of critical care clinicians engaging in humanities.

Briseida Mema, Andrew Helmers, Catherine Proulx, Kyung-Seo Kay Min, Laura E Navne

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Intensive care medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Reply to HelmersATS scholar · 2025
    Article
  3. Vulnerability through art: a path forward.Intensive care medicine · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.

Briseida MemaDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. briseida.mema@sickkids.ca.ORCID 0000-0001-9622-0304
Andrew HelmersDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Catherine ProulxDepartment of Critical Care Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
Kyung-Seo Kay MinRare Book School (RBS), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, USA.
Laura E NavneThe Danish Center for Social Science Research, VIVE, Copenhagen, Denmark.
University of Toronto · CARare Book School · USUniversity of Copenhagen · DK

Funding

Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto Medical Humanities Education Grant
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeCritical care medicine is facing an epidemic of burnout and consequent attrition. Interventions are needed to re-establish the medical field as a place of professional growth, resilience, and personal well-being. Humanities facilitate creation, reflection, and meaning-making, holding the promise of personal and community transformation. This study aimed to explore how clinicians engage with a humanities program, and what role and impact do the humanities play in their individual and collective journey.

methodsThis is a qualitative study employing a phenomenological approach. Participants were faculty and trainees who participated in the program. Data consisted of (a) 60-h observations of humanities evenings, (b) more than 200 humanities artifacts brought by participants, and (c) 15 in-depth participant interviews. Data were analyzed inductively and reflectively by a team of researchers.

resultsParticipants were motivated to engage with the humanities curriculum because of past experiences with art, identifying a desire to re-explore their creativity to make meaning from their clinical experiences and a wish to socialize with and understand their colleagues through a different lens. The evenings facilitated self-expression, and inspired and empowered participants to create art pieces and re-engage with art in their daily lives. More importantly, they found a community where they could be vulnerable and supported, where shared experiences were discussed, emotions were validated, and relationships were deepened between colleagues.

conclusionsHumanities may impact resilience and personal and community well-being by facilitating reflection and meaning-making of challenging clinical work and building bonds between colleagues.

Indexed as

Education, Medical, UndergraduateCurriculumEmotionsHumanitiesHumansArtBurnoutCritical care medicineMedical humanitiesQualitative methodologyResilience

Identifiers

PMID38451286
OpenAlexW4392551192

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.