Listening For and Listening To: Narrative Inquiry in Pandemic Health Communication

Stories and narratives play an increasingly important role in healthcare contexts. While much work in writing studies and technical and professional communication has explored how stories and narratives can improve healthcare outcomes, increase opportunities for collaboration between stakeholders, and assist in consent and information accessibility, more work is needed to understand how narratives play a central role in facilitating systemic reform. This paper presents the stories of participants in a project about pandemic health communication practices, revealing how narratives aid in identifying the causes and manifestations of healthcare disparities, amplifying marginalized voices, and taking collective action towards a future of equitable healthcare amidst an ongoing public health crisis.