One of the main reasons for making "Like Rembrandt Draperies", was to use it in teaching medical students, doctors and others to communicate better with patients. The documentary covers such themes as: clinician-patient communication, medical decisionmaking, psychosocial aspects of illness and forming partnerships with patients, especially at end of life.
The film can provide a catalyst for discussion of important issues including: living with cancer, relationships between patients and providers, alternative therapies and lifestyles, the meaning of dying and rituals around death.
The film was recently shown to one medical student audience during a course on end of life care. The students were asked to write reactions to the film so we could find out what they learned from it. They wrote many things. Some of things that the students found most striking were:

• Cathy’s approach to life that emphasized family, community and nature over the quest for material things
• The importance of listening to patients and respecting their decisions
• The recognition that each patient is an individual person who needs to be treated with compassion and as more than just a disease
• The possibility that doctors can make friends with their patients
• The view of death as a natural part of life
• The remarkable way in which Cathy’s funeral and memorial were approached by her loved ones and community

In terms of what students learned, I thought I would just share some of their comments with you:

It was a very intimate look at the life of a woman and the way in which her medical care impacted her last years of life. It made me think deeply about the need for me to always be conscious of the effects my care will have on the lives of my patients. It will mean more to them than I sometimes realize. It also helped me to better appreciate my responsibility toward my patients to be kind, patient, and willing to treat the whole person rather than solely their disease.

Cathy Tingle and her story about her life and death have inspired me. I hope to be able to say someday that I am approaching life with the energy and reverence that she displayed. I also hope to be able to support and care for patients like her in a manner that allows them to feel respected.

The video made a connection for me because I realized that listening to our patients is probably the most important thing we can do.

I thought that this movie was a good example about patient care for medical students to watch. It made me realize that as a person is dying they are still a person. She deserved to be cared for as she wanted to be treated, even if it wasn’t what the doctors thought was best.

It delivered several powerful messages, both positive and negative, that I do not think can be delivered in any lecture. One of these is that the patient-doctor bond that was established in the film is something that each physician should try to achieve with his or her patients, especially when caring for someone who is terminally ill. Another issue that the film brought to life for me was the importance of viewing each critically ill patient as a person first and respecting his or her wishes.