Sketching (Cairo, 2012) Biographies (France, 2004)
Main Article Content
Abstract
This article explores the practice of collecting and compiling patients’ personal information to develop comprehensive profiles that can assist healthcare professionals in understanding an individual’s medical, social, and personal background. Drawing upon the concept described by Anker (2011), the study examines how personal data are accumulated, interpreted, and organized within healthcare settings. Particular attention is given to the specialized process known as biography sketching, a method that requires expert analytical and communication skills to construct meaningful narratives from patient information, as highlighted by Stewart (2014). The article discusses the significance of biography sketching in enhancing patient-centered care, improving clinical decision-making, and fostering stronger relationships between healthcare providers and patients. In addition, ethical considerations related to privacy, confidentiality, and responsible data management are briefly addressed. By presenting an overview of the principles, applications, and implications of biography sketching, this article aims to provide readers with a clearer understanding of this important practice. It is hoped that the information presented will be both informative and useful to researchers, practitioners, and interested readers.
Downloads
Article Details
Copyright (c) 2026 Shibli N.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Pound R. Interests of personality. Cambridge (MA): Harvard University Press; 1915. Available from: https://search.lib.uiowa.edu/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=01IOWA_ALMA51559742410002771&context=L&vid=01IOWA&lang=en_US&tab=default_tab&query=sub,exact,%20Individuals%20,AND&mode=advanced&offset=0
Karamanolis G. Plutarch. London: Duckworth; 2010.
Packer CD, Berger GN, Mookherjee S. Writing case reports: a practical guide for clinicians. Cham: Springer; 2017.
Fusco Girard L, Vecco M. The “intrinsic value” of cultural heritage as a driver for circular human-centered adaptive reuse. Sustainability. 2021;13(6):3231. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13063231?urlappend=%3Futm_source%3Dresearchgate.net%26utm_medium%3Darticle
Ma Z. Research on design sketches from different disciplines: overview and directions. Connectivity. 2023;35. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26530/9789401496476-008
Gower B. Scientific method: a historical and philosophical introduction. London: Routledge; 2012. Available from: https://www.routledge.com/Scientific-Method-A-Historical-and-Philosophical-Introduction/Gower/p/book/9780415122825
Gorichanaz T. Self-portrait, selfie, self: notes on identity and documentation in the digital age. Information. 2019;10(10):297. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/info10100297
Sathaye AA. Crossing the lines of caste: Visvamitra and the construction of Brahmin power in Hindu mythology. New York: Oxford University Press; 2015. Available from: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/crossing-the-lines-of-caste-9780199341108?cc=in&lang=en&
Missong D. A study on major Rajput kings in ancient times. Globus J Prog Educ. 2015;5(1):1-3. Available from: https://www.globusedujournal.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/devajit.pdf
Agarwal V. What is the Aryan migration theory? [Internet]. 2000 [cited Year Month Day].
Ritner SB. A critique of greatness. Theory Event. 2023;26(2):345-367. Available from: https://www.academia.edu/101530936/A_Critique_of_Greatness
Benxian Y. Reciprocity. In: The ECPH encyclopedia of psychology. Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore; 2025. p. 1265-1266.
Wang C. Temporal dynamics in the daily lives of health practitioners. Time Soc. 2019;28(4):1552-1576. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/0961463X18787047
Summit GA, Knebel E. Challenges facing the health system and implications for educational reform. In: Health professions education: a bridge to quality. Washington (DC): National Academies Press; 2003. p. 192. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK221522/
Hafferty FW, Castellani B. The increasing complexities of professionalism. Acad Med. 2010;85(2):288-301. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1097/acm.0b013e3181c85b43
Bryant J. Health and the developing world. Ithaca (NY): Cornell University Press; 2019. Available from: https://books.google.co.in/books/about/Health_and_the_Developing_World.html?id=C_-tDwAAQBAJ&redir_esc=y
Anker AE, Reinhart AM, Feeley TH. Health information seeking: a review of measures and methods. Patient Educ Couns. 2011;82(3):346-354. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2010.12.008
Benton M. The aesthetics of biography—and what it teaches. J Aesthet Educ. 2015;49(1):1-19. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1353/jae.2015.0004
Cairo A. The functional art: an introduction to information graphics and visualization. Berkeley (CA): New Riders; 2012. Available from: https://vivaappliedart.org/pdf/library/The%20Functional%20Art_%20An%20Introduction%20to%20Information%20Graphics%20and%20Visualization.pdf
France P, St Clair W, editors. Mapping lives: the uses of biography. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press; 2004.
Leech BL. Interview methods in political science. PS Polit Sci Polit. 2002;35(4):663-664. Available from: https://www.researchwithrutgers.org/en/publications/interview-methods-in-political-science/
Lonkar A, Sonawane A, Ajgaonkar G. Math and reasoning of Kundali. Available from: https://www.viirj.org/specialissues/2025/SP2502/33.pdf
Nuere S, Ruiz Gómez ME, de Miguel Álvarez L. Sketch as a tool of thought in art and science. Available from: https://doi.org/10.22364/htqe.2022.69
Orfield G, Wald J. Testing, testing. Nation. 2000;270(22):38-40.
Park M, Chai S. The value of personal information: an exploratory study of types of personal information and their value. Asia Pac J Inf Syst. 2018;28(3):154-166. Available from: https://apjis.or.kr/pdf/01_%EC%B1%84%EC%83%81%EB%AF%B8(154-166).pdf
Rumsey S. How to find information: a guide for researchers. Maidenhead: McGraw-Hill Education; 2008. Available from: https://books.google.co.in/books/about/How_to_Find_Information.html?id=_8PuAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y
Søe SO, Jørgensen RF, Mai JE. What is the “personal” in “personal information”? Ethics Inf Technol. 2021;23(4):625-633.
Stewart M, Brown JB, Weston WW, Freeman TR, Ryan BL, McWilliam CL, et al. Patient-centered medicine: transforming the clinical method. 3rd ed. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2014. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/377607562_Patient-Centered_Medicine_Transforming_the_Clinical_Method
Vandenbroucke JP. Case reports in an evidence-based world. J R Soc Med. 1999;92(4):159-163. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1177/014107689909200401