Abstract: Narrative medicine, as a holistic approach to treating disease, responds to the need to provide quality humanistic healthcare and to improve the efficacy of medical practice. The essence of narrative medicine is similar to that of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which prioritizes patients, emphasizing disease interpretation and psychological guidance for the patients. This paper aims to analyze narrative competence and clinical practice in TCM. TCM adopts Qu Xiang Bi Lei (取象比类 analogical reasoning), a way of thinking and expression, which takes advantage of analogical thinking and metaphorical language rather than obscure medical terms to communicate with patients. This method helps patients understand the mechanism and treatment of disease, thus facilitating doctor-patient collaboration and improving patients’ compliance. TCM’s emphasis on patients aligns with the three key attributes of narrative medicine: attention, representation, and affiliation. In conclusion, TCM’s use of Qu Xiang Bi Lei and related metaphorical language reflects its excellent narrative competence in medical practice, and has profound implications for the development of China’s narrative medical system and the cultivation of narrative competence among healthcare professionals.
ZHANG et al. (2026) studied this question.