Narrative Medicine

Policies for the Narrative Medicine Section

The Narrative Medicine section of the Colombia Médica journal is dedicated to publishing texts that explore the intersection between medical practice, human experiences, and health sciences. This section aims to highlight the relevance of personal narratives and reflections in understanding health and illness processes, focusing on their impact on medical science and clinical practice while emphasizing applicable and reproducible lessons.

Objectives

  1. Provide a space for healthcare professionals, patients, and caregivers to share narratives that contribute significant lessons to science and clinical practice.
  2. Promote the use of narrative as a tool to improve empathy, communication, and decision-making in medical care.
  3. Foster critical reflections that highlight how human experiences can influence health outcomes and the relationship between healthcare professionals and patients.
  4. Facilitate the documentation of replicable experiences that can serve as guidance or inspiration for other professionals or health systems.

Publication Criteria

Content

  • Texts should address topics related to the human experience in health and illness, emphasizing their implications for medical science, patient care, or health policies.
  • Personal accounts, reflective essays, and narrative analyses that include reflections and lessons applicable to clinical practice or scientific advancement are accepted.
  • Whenever possible, experiences should be described in a way that allows for reproducibility, providing clear details on the steps taken, strategies used, and results achieved.
  • When applicable, texts should describe the challenges or resistance encountered during the implementation of initiatives or strategies, as well as the solutions adopted to overcome them.

Length

  • While Colombia Médica does not limit the length of texts, it is suggested that manuscripts should not exceed 400 words, excluding references and footnotes, to ensure conciseness and clarity.

Structure

  1. Title: Clear, representative of the narrative content and its scientific or clinical contribution (maximum 20 words).
  2. Introduction: Brief contextualization of the topic or experience narrated, highlighting its relevance to medicine or healthcare.
  3. Body of the Text:
    • Development of the narrative, including the steps or strategies used to address the situation.
    • Description of challenges, resistance, or difficulties encountered, and the solutions implemented.
    • Focus on the lessons learned and results obtained, emphasizing their potential applicability in other contexts.
  4. Conclusion or Reflection: Key learnings, implications, or recommendations derived from the narrative for clinical practice or health advancement.
  5. References: If applicable, in Vancouver format, for texts that include citations from literature or relevant external sources.

Submission Requirements and Process

  • Author Limit: A maximum of three authors is allowed per manuscript.

  • Manuscripts must be submitted through the editorial system of the Colombia Médica journal, indicating that they are intended for the Narrative Medicine section.

  • Authors must complete and upload the following forms, available on the Colombia Médica website:

    1. Copyright Transfer Agreement.
    2. Conflict of Interest Declaration.

  • All texts will be reviewed by the Editorial Committee to ensure their narrative quality and scientific or clinical relevance.

 

Ethical Considerations

  • Authors must ensure that the narrative content is original and that, in cases where patient experiences are included, explicit consent has been obtained.
  • It is mandatory to use appropriate measures to protect the anonymity of individuals or patients mentioned in the narrative by removing any information that could allow direct or indirect identification unless explicit written authorization has been obtained.
  • Authors should avoid including personal details, photographs, or any data that may compromise the privacy of the individuals involved unless they have explicit and verifiable consent.

Format

  • Figures or Illustrations: Images or illustrations that complement the narrative are accepted, provided they meet quality standards and the necessary permissions for use have been obtained.
  • Writing Style: Texts are expected to use clear, reflective language with a scientific or clinical focus, highlighting their contribution to medicine and their potential reproducibility.

Review Process

  • Texts will be reviewed internally by the Editorial Committee and, when necessary, by experts in medical narrative or medical humanities.
  • The Committee reserves the right to request modifications to the manuscript before final acceptance.