The GENTT Dramaturgical Method (DramaGentt) for the Acquisition of Patient-Centered Communication Skills

Abstract

DramaGentt, the dramaturgical method developed by the GENTT (Gèneres textuals per a la traducció) research group at the Universitat Jaume I, is inspired by theatrical concepts and practices. It is a pedagogical tool designed to improve communication between patients, professionals and interpreters in healthcare contexts. This pedagogical tool differs from others available in that it is designed to improve communication between patients, professionals and interpreters in healthcare contexts in a flexible, experiential, reflective, safe and patient-centred way. The method can be used for both monolingual and bilingual interactions that are not mediated by an interpreter (i.e. when the patient and healthcare professional understand each other’s language, but communicate in their own languages) and for bilingual interactions that are mediated by an interpreter. The essence of the method lies in simulating highly realistic but hypothetical scenarios in which participants play different roles and act out communicative situations of varying complexity that are typical of healthcare in specific linguistic and socio-cultural contexts. In the version of the method presented in this article, the actor usually plays the patient, though occasionally they may play the healthcare professional, enabling them to better understand the patient’s perspective.