Storytelling and Informatics: Humanizing and Disseminating Data Insights Through Narrative

Presentation Time: 08:30 AM - 11:30 AM

Abstract Keywords: Delivering Health Information and Knowledge to the Public, Informatics Implementation, Change Management, Curriculum Development, Evaluation, Workforce Development
Working Group: Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Working Group
Primary Track: Applications
Programmatic Theme: Academic Informatics / LIEAF

Health and healthcare have long been driven by data, logic, and technology. But the most impactful innovations often come when we remember that people—patients, clinicians, researchers—are at the center of the systems we design. Storytelling is a powerful, underutilized tool that bridges technical insight and human understanding.1 This tutorial will explore how storytelling enhances communication, empathy, and shared purpose in informatics and healthcare.

Through interactive segments and real-world examples, Drs. Johnson and Ortega will guide participants through techniques to describe their research through storytelling. Topics will include narrative structure, archetypes, metaphors, organizational storytelling, and data storytelling. Dr. Ortega’s expertise in equity and community-engaged research will add critical insights into how narratives in many forms, including music, can elevate marginalized voices and make data more inclusive and actionable.4,5

The session will also include two interactive exercises: a storytelling collaborative project and a “Shark Tank”-style innovation pitch session.

Addition by AMIA Staff: After submission, this group received endorsement from the Ethical, Legal, and Social Issues Working Group and People and People and Organizational Issues Working Group

Speakers:
Kevin Johnson, MD, MS
University of Pennsylvania

Gezzer Ortega, MD, MPH
Brigham and Women's Hospital

Authors:
Kevin Johnson, MD, MS - University of Pennsylvania; Gezzer Ortega, MD, MPH - Brigham and Women's Hospital;

---