Development of a cinematographic life story of anatomical donor to generate student appreciation and responsibility
Authors: Elzie Carrie , Tenaglia Holly A. , Eagan Marie , Rechowicz Krzysztof 
Published: May 2022

Awareness by students of the anatomical donor’s intent has been shown to help them deal effectively with anxieties and questions raised by human dissection. Exposure to donor stories gives students a sense of purpose and responsibility to their laboratory experience, engenders empathy, and diminishes detachment and dehumanization necessary to combat the compassion crisis in healthcare. Students commonly crave their donor’s information and when not given (often the case), make up their own stories. Therefore the objective of this project was to create a cinemagraphic life story of a living anatomical donor whose personal narrative was overlaid with the introduction to dissection experience to increase appreciation and responsibility in students learning gross anatomy.

A 17 minute black and white video was created narrated by a living anatomical donor. The video begins with the donor introducing himself and providing some information on the importance of his gift. He then discusses the impact that various anatomical parts/regions have had on this life. As he is telling these stories images in the form of his “memories” flood the screen. For example when discussing his hands he says “You will spend a lot of time on very small muscles within my hands‐‐ don’t take them for granted…. And don’t ignore my digits. My left fourth digit bore the physical symbol of my commitment and dedication to the woman of my dreams for many years. You may not see it there now, but I will always be hers.” as an image of his hand wearing his wedding band appears.

One hundred and thirty three health professional students taking human gross anatomy were asked to view the video and complete an anonymous survey on the impact of the video including questions related to its impact, effect on appreciation for the donor’s sacrifice and anatomy, responsibility toward to the donor, future clinical practice and its utility as an educational tool.

The impact of the video was resoundingly positive. Students reported being emotionally connected to it (94.8%), made them curious about other donor stories (96.2%), changed the way they view anatomy (51.8%), and showed the importance of learning future patients’ stories (91%). After students viewed the film they reported a greater appreciation for a donor’s sacrifice (96.2%), their time in the anatomy lab (92.5%), and how anatomy contributes to a person’s life (96.2%). They also reported a greater responsibility towards their donor (95.5%). Overall the students felt connected to the story (93.2%) and the character (94.8%), as the story resonated with them (92.3%) and was a memorable experience (95.5%). 96.2% of students felt this should be a requirement for future anatomy students.

The success of this pilot will drive the development of additional donor stories and provide a means to explore other delivery tools. Future studies will include pre‐ and post‐evaluations to determine the direct impact of the video and its utility as a tool to generate awareness around anatomical donation.