Merging Medicine and Storytelling: How Digital Content Can Change Outcomes

Charting Pediatrics

Digital content is at the center of our society and its prevalence continues to grow. Storytelling on digital platforms allows the medical community to showcase groundbreaking research and connect with audiences, who otherwise may not be privy to this information. Experts like Joshua Williams, MD, are at the forefront of some of this innovation. In October 2023, he received the Advancement in Research Award at the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference.

Dr. Williams is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, as well as a practicing primary care pediatrician with Denver Health. He is the principal investigator on a National Institutes of Health grant to examine the impact of digital storytelling on influenza vaccination equity. In addition, he is a co-investigator at the Denver Health for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Vaccine Safety DataLink Project. “And what I hope comes from it is improvement in equity, improvement in the rate of influenza vaccination uptake in groups that historically haven’t had high uptake,” says Dr. Williams

Some highlights from the episode include:

• The larger goals of these data- and digital-based projects
• How to merge medicine and storytelling
• Advice for young doctors and medical professionals
• Finding success from rejection

Dr. Williams will be presenting on this very topic at the PAS 2024 meeting in Toronto, Canda.

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