IMR Press / RCM / Volume 23 / Issue 11 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2311366
Open Access Original Research
Interdisciplinarity and Patient Engagement: New Representations of Cardiovascular Anatomy
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1 Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, BS8 1TH Bristol, UK
2 National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, SW7 2BX London, UK
3 Royal College of Art, SW7 2EU London, UK
4 Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
5 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, WC1N 3JH London, UK
*Correspondence: g.biglino@bristol.ac.uk (Giovanni Biglino)
Academic Editors: Zhonghua Sun, Laszlo Kiraly and Ebrahim Mostafavi
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2022, 23(11), 366; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2311366
Submitted: 18 November 2021 | Revised: 22 December 2021 | Accepted: 27 December 2021 | Published: 27 October 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 3D Printing in Heart and Cardiovascular Disease)
Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: This article presents and discusses the genesis, making and public presentation of two artworks by British artist Sofie Layton, namely Blueprints and The Bud, which explore the anatomy of the heart infusing it with experiential and narrative elements. Methods: Artist-led workshops with a range of audiences (cardiac patients, medical staff, medical students, creative professionals, and patient relatives) led to explore narratives and imagery that, in turn, was re-presented in artworks exploring the complexity of the cardiovascular system. Results: While positioning themselves in a long tradition of artistic representations of the heart, often purely anatomical or autobiographical, these artworks stem from a process of patient involvement and participation. Integral to the pieces is an interdisciplinary approach, which is central to arts-and-health collaborations. Conclusions: At a time in which the role of the arts in improving health and wellbeing is increasingly recognised and supported by evidence, these artworks offer an opportunity to reflect not only on ways of representing cardiovascular anatomy, but also on its experiential value and on the important of patient engagement and involvement.

Keywords
cardiovascular anatomy
3D printing
congenital heart disease
aorta
rapid prototyping
patient engagement
Funding
201960/Z/16/Z/Wellcome Trust
CH/17/1/32804/British Heart Foundation
AA/18/1/34219/British Heart Foundation
Figures
Fig. 1.
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