Visual Thinking Strategies for Healthcare Teams: Elevating Collaboration, Care, and Creativity
Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a dynamic, evidence-based process that uses art as a springboard for exploration and collaboration within medical teams. By engaging with visual art, physicians and other healthcare professionals can unlock critical thinking and communication skills—cornerstones of effective medical teamwork. These skills not only enhance team cohesion but may also translate into improved patient care and outcomes.
What sets VTS apart is its ability to nurture active listening, cultural awareness, and a tolerance for ambiguity—qualities essential for leaders in our complex healthcare landscape. Over the past three decades, VTS has been widely adopted and studied across universities, medical schools, and healthcare settings, attesting to its versatility and impact.
Unlike traditional arts-based programs, VTS requires no prior knowledge, experience, or even a passion for art. Instead, a work of art serves as a neutral and engaging medium to spark conversations that might otherwise feel forced or uncomfortable.
By focusing on observation and open-ended discussion, participants uncover new insights, foster deeper connections, and gently challenge their own preconceived ideas and biases. This process creates a safe and creative space for professional growth and team development.
How to Access Visual Thinking Strategies
Visual thinking doesn’t require artistic skill or an aesthetic eye; it simply asks you to think differently. Here are a few ways you can begin:
Team Workshops
VTS follows a very specific evidence-based process, so it’s important that your facilitator has been trained in the method.
In a VTS session, a facilitator presents an artwork, allowing participants time for close looking. The process then transitions to asking each individual to describe what they think is going on in the picture. After they have shared their perspective, the facilitator follows up with a question asking them to relate what they see in the work that makes them say that.
Each person takes turns, so no one's interpretation bears more weight than another's. Many times the interpretations differ a great deal between participants. Often, the observations surface ideas or assumptions that the participant may later decide are not exactly what they expected. At times, this might even feel uncomfortable, but since VTS is designed to be supportive, not confrontative, this is part of the unfolding experience.
After everyone has a chance to speak, there is a debriefing that includes a discussion of what might have been challenging or unexpected. We also talk about how this experience might connect to something that would be encountered in the clinic or hospital.
For those in healthcare, Harvard offers an extensive VTS training course that includes an option to apply for certification after completion. As a student of this program, I can vouch for its high quality and engaging, thorough training.
Daily Observational Practice
Spend a few minutes observing an image, whether it’s art, a medical scan, or even nature. Ask yourself: What do I notice? What stands out? How does this relate to my work today? You might use this as a journaling prompt, perhaps setting a timer for 10-15 minutes to give yourself time to go deeper.
Patient Communication
Visual tools can help simplify complex medical concepts for patients, improving understanding and trust. By understanding how VTS works, and putting the method to use in your encounters, you may create deeper and more trusting relationships with your patients.
Why Physicians Can Benefit from Visual Thinking Strategies
More than most professionals, physicians operate in a world of complexity, ambiguity, and precision. Visual thinking strategies can:
Enhance Diagnostic Skills: By practicing detailed observation through VTS exercises, you can sharpen your ability to notice subtle clinical signs and patterns.
Improve Team Collaboration: Through VTS, each person has an opportunity to share their own experience of the work being presented. This can open up diverse perspectives, especially in interdisciplinary teams.
Boost Creative Problem-Solving: Medicine often requires innovative thinking, whether solving a patient care dilemma or optimizing workflow. Visual brainstorming can unlock new approaches.
Foster Emotional Intelligence: Engaging with imagery—whether art, diagrams, or patient stories—can help cultivate empathy and awareness.
Improve Comfort with Ambiguity: Patient presentations are often nuanced, diagnoses may be unclear, and treatment outcomes can be uncertain. Developing comfort with ambiguity allows physicians and other healthcare professionals to remain calm, curious, and open to new ways of seeing, enabling them to make sound decisions even in the face of incomplete information.
Why I’m Passionate About VTS
As a physician and coach, I’ve experienced firsthand the ways that VTS can spark new insights and foster confidence and team cohesion. In a profession where burnout is all too common, VTS provides a refreshing, engaging way to reconnect with your sense of purpose and curiosity.
Final Thoughts
Visual thinking strategies offer physicians a unique and valuable way to navigate the complexities of modern medicine. By integrating these techniques into your daily practice, you can enhance your observational skills, improve communication, and reignite your passion for the art of healing.
I’m considering offering a free workshop on VTS tailored specifically for physicians. If this is something that piques your interest, I’d love to hear from you!
If you’ve enjoyed this article and would like to stay in the loop for more insights on creating a sustainable, fulfilling, and happy life as a physician, sign up for my newsletter or reach out on my website. I’d love to hear from you.
And if you’d like to schedule a complimentary coaching discovery session, click the button below.