[9-20] Pendemic: A medically centered writing workshop during COVID-19
Presentation language：English
Background: Writing workshops have recently been employed as a means to increase empathy and reflection in medicine. Yet few studies have looked at the critical component of creative medical writing or how workshops can be used to better deal with pandemics.
Method: A seven-week course was created to craft written skills and develop broader literary understanding of pandemics. Weekly workshops consisted of pre-reading, interactive lectures, practice writing prompts, and a discussion of the participants’ pieces, for a total of two hours. Data on 11 participants was collected on pretest and post-test variables. Statistics were calculated with SPSS25.
Results: 80.2% reported a subjective increase in confidence. Frequency of writing immediately after and 1 month after the intervention increased by 89% and 80% respectively (p<0.001). Technical skill improved (p<0.001, OR 0.27 (0.16-0.44). All (11/11) stated the course had utility and should be widely applied in medicine, especially during a pandemic. 54% were able to publish their work in journals after 1 month, of which 81% had never tried before.
Conclusion: Literary focused writing workshops improve clinical comprehension, literary skills, and offer unique opportunities for publishing. During the pandemic, such workshops further provide support and opportunity to understand the literary roots of medicine.