I have almost completed my 9-week study! Over the past few weeks though, I ended up having to take an IRB test on the Mayo campus. I received a certificate of completion for passing the Human Subjects Protection Test. The test was required of all personnel engaged in IRB research studies. The test covered topics including the world history of human subject testing, codes and regulations involved with human testing, informed consent procedure, legalities, risk and benefits, confidentiality, Internal Review Board procedures (IRB), and the ethics in Human Subject testing. Until now, I had no idea about all of the laws and regulations governing research!

Additionally, I had a number of meetings to discuss why and how my project at Mayo Jacksonville should be shared with the public community and the logistics behind that. Not only could my research project highlight the program in the PRC as well as the Lyndra P. Daniel Center for Humanities and Medicine, but it could possibly help attract patients and increase knowledge about the Mayo Clinic. Additionally, it could help promote the overlap between art and science. The logistics behind blogging, sharing certain information, and deciding how to share it, has been quite a learning experience. For Mayo, as in other businesses, they take public relations very seriously. If told correctly, patient and hospital related stories could increase donations to fund programs, such as creative distraction therapy. It could also increase awareness of patient satisfaction, and alternative or additional care techniques. Although this sort of thing is not my forte, it was great to meet with people who wanted to share my project with the possibility of promoting the idea of arts in medicine, as well as the work of the PRC.

I have also been working on my own body of work inspired by my project. I have mainly been thinking about and using the same techniques taught to the patients. For example, while making my own artwork, I have tried to actively focus on the present and I have tried not to worry about the result. In addition, I have incorporated many aesthetic processes to complete a single piece. With any luck my own artwork will be finished soon and I can compile the data from my research project!  Here is one piece in progress: