Belgian Narrative Medicine Forum
When stories enrich care
Healthcare is about more than diagnoses, treatments or medical examinations. Every patient, family member and healthcare professional has a story, an experience and a personal journey that influence the care relationship.
To better take this human dimension into account, the Brussels University Hospital (H.U.B.) and the Health Hub of Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) are launching the Belgian Narrative Medicine Forum, a new initiative as part of the broader movement for Humanities in Healthcare. Its first seminar series will begin in September 2026.
A space for meeting, reflection and sharing
Developed in the early 2000s at Columbia University (New York), narrative medicine seeks to complement medical expertise with a better understanding of the lived experience of illness. It draws on the narratives of patients, their families and healthcare professionals to deepen listening, foster dialogue and strengthen the quality of the care relationship.
The Belgian Narrative Medicine Forum aims to bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, students, patient partners and humanities practitioners for conferences and discussions devoted to the human dimensions of care. Rooted in paediatrics, it opens up a broader reflection on healthcare practices, vulnerability, listening and supporting people throughout their care journey.
An annual seminar series
The Forum will organise an annual lecture series, held on the fourth Friday of each month, from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., online.
Each session will feature a recognised expert in narrative medicine, the health humanities or the humanities applied to healthcare. The lectures will be followed by a discussion with participants, recorded and gradually made available online together with their transcripts.
First seminar
Friday 25 September 2026
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Online
Narrative medicine: foundations, training and institutionalisation
Speaker: Isabelle Galichon
Senior Lecturer at the University of Bordeaux, specialising in narrative medicine
During this inaugural lecture, Isabelle Galichon will present the foundations of narrative medicine and how listening to narratives can enrich healthcare practices. This first session will launch the series by reflecting on the place of human experience, dialogue and the caregiver–patient relationship in contemporary healthcare.
Practical information
- Free of charge
- Open to healthcare professionals, students, researchers and patient partners
- Online
- Registration requested via
- Ethics and Economics accreditation