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Jazz and the ‘Art’ of Medicine: Improvisation in the Medical Encounter

The Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tex

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Paul Haidet, MD, MPH, Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, VA Medical Center, 2002 Holcombe Blvd (152), Houston, TX 77030, phaidet{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Annals Journal Club selection—see inside back cover or http://www.annfammed.org/AJC/.

ABSTRACT

Improvisation is an important aspect of patient-physician communication. It is also a defining feature of jazz music performance. This essay uses examples from jazz to illustrate principles of improvisation that relate to an individual communication act (ie, building space into one’s communication), a physician’s communicative style (ie, developing one’s voice), and the communicative process of the medical encounter (ie, achieving ensemble). At all 3 levels, the traditions of jazz improvisation can inform efforts to research and teach medical interviewing by fostering a contextualized view of patient-physician communication.

Key Words: Physician-patient relations • primary health care • patient-centered care • education, medical • humanities • music • communication • curriculum • theoretical models • behavioral medicine • health care delivery • health services research

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