Tips & Tricks
In healthcare, content can often feel clinical, distant, or overwhelming. But storytelling has the power to shift that. It transforms abstract statistics into human experiences, making healthcare content more engaging, accessible, and emotionally resonant. When used thoughtfully and ethically, storytelling fosters connection and empowers audiences to take meaningful action.
Here’s how you can use storytelling to bring compassion, clarity, and impact to your healthcare content.
Use Data Without Losing the Human Element
Numbers and statistics are essential, but they often fail to capture the nuance of human experience. The key is to weave data into real-life narratives that make the numbers relatable and memorable.
Example:
The Storytelling for Impact programme is run by the Can-SOLVE CKD Network, a Canadian national patient-oriented kidney research network. This program is a 6-week initiative designed to help patient partners—including patients, family members, caregivers, and organ donors—develop and share impactful healthcare stories, with a focus on ethical storytelling.
Action Steps:
- Create clear consent guidelines for gathering and using patient stories.
- Allow individuals to review and approve their stories before publication.
- Balance stories by including both challenges and moments of progress.
Another Example:
When writing about diabetes, share a person’s journey of learning to manage their condition. Include the struggles, the turning points, and the victories to provide a realistic, hopeful perspective.
Structure Your Stories With Intention
A well-structured story can help convey complex healthcare information while keeping your audience engaged. Whether your aim is to raise awareness, educate, or inspire action, structure brings clarity.
Example:
Narrative medicine practices often follow a clear arc:
- Beginning: onset of symptoms
- Middle: the path through diagnosis and treatment
- End: management, transformation, or insight
This approach makes dense or technical information more accessible.
Action Steps:
- Identify the main takeaway or purpose of the story.
- Outline the beginning (challenge), middle (journey), and end (outcome).
- Include vivid, specific details that bring the story to life.
- End with a reflection or call to action.
Another Example:
In a story about mental health, you might follow someone’s experience from recognising symptoms to accessing support and eventually advocating for others. Include links or resources so the reader knows what steps they can take if they’re in a similar position.
Balance Data with Dignity
When statistics are paired with personal stories, the result can be powerful — but only when done ethically. Always approach stories with care and respect.
Example:
Medical Teams International pairs data with personal accounts to show how healthcare interventions impact real lives. When covering refugee health, they spotlight individuals whose stories illustrate wider systemic issues, without reducing them to case studies.
Action Steps:
- Identify relevant, accurate statistics.
- Partner with people who are open to sharing their story, with full consent.
- Combine data and narrative in a way that honours the person’s experience and humanity.
For Example:
Rather than stating that heart disease is the leading cause of death, share the story of a survivor who changed their lifestyle after a heart attack. Fold in key data points that reinforce the scale of the issue without losing the individual perspective.
Be Honest and Transparent
Your audience relies on you for accurate, trustworthy information. Transparency builds credibility, especially when writing about treatments, risks, or health outcomes.
Action Steps:
- Fact-check everything and cite your sources clearly.
- Acknowledge uncertainty or areas where more research is needed.
- Avoid inflated claims.
- Present statistics in context to give a full picture.
For Example:
When discussing a new treatment for PCOS, explain both its potential benefits and its limitations. Include where more research is needed, building trust and helping readers make informed decisions.
Final Thought
Storytelling transforms healthcare content from something abstract or clinical into something deeply human. When you pair data with real experiences, honour the stories being shared, and communicate with honesty and care, your content can do more than inform — it can truly connect.As you create your next piece of healthcare content, ask yourself: What story am I telling, and how could it make a difference in someone’s life?
