University Course “Culture and Health” 2025, Social Prescription: How doctors are using culture, sports, nature, and community service as medicine

/in /by

Screenshot 2025-10-19 150203The fifth iteration of the “Culture and Health” course, promoted by the Faculty of Biomedical Science at USI – Università della Svizzera italiana with IBSA Foundation for scientific research and the Culture Department of the City of Lugano, will see personalities from the world of science and culture come together on seven Mondays to discuss topics connected with “Social Prescribing” for personal health.

Open to the public, the themed lessons will be held from Monday 6 October to Monday 24 November in the Aula Polivalente at Campus Est in Lugano, from 6 to 7.45 p.m.  The meetings are aimed at students and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Biomedical Science of USI, as well as anyone else who is interested. Every lesson involves an introductory keynote speech that will present the topic on the basis of the most recent scientific literature. This introduction will be followed by a debate involving an expert in the role of discussant.
The programme was put together by the course scientific committee consisting of Enzo Grossi, Luigi Di Corato, Silvia Misiti and Julia Hotz.

Read more →

#ENDOs Project: Collecting Stories from People with Endometriosis

/in /by

logo-endoAround 190 million people worldwide suffer from endometriosis; in Italy, at least 3 million have been officially diagnosed.

If you have or suspect you have endometriosis, #ENDOs offers you the opportunity to share your story completely anonymously, becoming part of a large community of support and understanding.

What is #ENDOs?

#ENDOs is a project co-funded by the European Union, created to provide a safe space where people from Italy, France and Ireland can share their experience with endometriosis and build a welcoming and supportive community that values each unique story.

The collected narratives will contribute to the creation of an “Emotional Narrative Dictionary,” helping doctors and other professionals better understand endometriosis and improve communication with those who experience this condition

How does it work?

The DNMLab platform, developed by DNM – Digital Narrative Medicine, will guide you through writing your story in a few simple steps while ensuring compliance with EU privacy regulations. You can choose to respond to the proposed prompts or ignore them if you prefer, as well as freely share the aspects of your experience that matter most to you.

Read more →

An Integrated Care Approach to Improve Well-Being in Breast Cancer Patients

/in /by

Screenshot 2025-04-18 122019A new Italian study proposes a holistic model to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and one of the leading causes of death among women. New approaches based on the adoption of so-called integrative therapies can be implemented to enhance the physical and psychological well-being of patients before, during, and after treatment. However, in Europe there are still few centers that apply these methods and acknowledge their importance.

Recently, an Italian study published in the scientific journal Current Oncology Reports brought together specialists from various fields with the aim of formulating a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to breast cancer care.

Read more →

Narrative Medicine: theory, clinical practice and education – a scoping review

/in /by

bmclogo6_An important article entitled “Narrative Medicine: theory, clinical practice and education – a scoping review” by Ilaria Palla, Giuseppe Turchetti and Stefania Polvani, who for years was president of SIMeN (Società Italiana di Medicina Narrativa), has recently been published in the BMC Health Services Research magazine.

The authors have mapped and analyzed all published studies related to theory, clinical practice and education in Narrative Medicine.

The paper, through a focus on Italy and the United States, or the countries in which MN is most developed, reveals the possibility of future projects in which to measure Narrative Medicine according to an approach that integrates training and clinical practice.

Read more →