When Doctor Francois Bethoux was younger, his brother was in a car crash. The accident resulted in severe brain damage, and Bethoux wanted to understand the medical aspects of the incident. He became intrigued by the concept of helping others and was inspired to pursue medicine.
“I got to spend a lot of time in the hospital and interacting with the healthcare providers,” Bethoux says. “That’s when I really consolidated my interest for becoming a doctor.”
Born in Paris, Bethoux attended medical school in Lyon, France. After being encouraged by colleagues to study abroad, Bethoux completed a fellowship in neuroimmunology at the Cleveland Clinic and eventually realized he wanted to stay in Ohio.
Now the director of rehabilitation services at the Cleveland Clinic Mellen Center and the medical director of Cleveland Clinic’s Arts & Medicine Institute, Bethoux focuses on neuro-rehabilitation and spasticity management. His passion though: integrating music and art into the lives of patients.
His interest in implementing art into the medical field began almost a decade ago when his colleague introduced him to how music can help people with multiple sclerosis. Since then, his research focuses on this topic with MS patients, but his overall knowledge of combining art and medicine is impressive.
"Wouldn’t it be awesome to integrate something that exists all around us, which is the arts, and to really use it in a cognitive fashion to enhance our health or other people’s health?" - Dr. Francois Bethoux
He notes the Institute isn’t just about providing immediate help to patients, though. Through more extensive programs with art and music therapy, patients with chronic conditions are exposed to multiple forms of interactive art and then encouraged to continue the form beyond the course.
“Slowly but surely we hope to build evidence that suggests that even after the program ends people are engaging in art-related activities that will provide some results and enhancements to their health,” he says.
Plus, the results can improve more than mental health.
“If (patients) engage in an artistic activity, it often involves movement, and that indirectly can impact physical health,” says Bethoux. “We know that if your mental health improves, your physical health may, too.”
For Bethoux though, the medical world has only scratched the surface on integrating art into medicine. As the medical director of the Institute, he hopes to explore more artistic options which one day could substitute for pharmaceuticals or medical procedures, which would ultimately save on consumer cost.
“The same way we would evaluate any treatment or any potential treatment, many aspects of the arts deserve to be studied in the same way,” he says. “Wouldn’t it be awesome to integrate something that exists all around us, which is the arts, and to really use it in a cognitive fashion to enhance our health or other people’s health? I mean the potential to save on healthcare cost is substantial.”
As for Bethoux’s personal research in using music to help people with MS, the results have been meaningful. Recently, Bethoux and his team conducted a rhythmic music study where they used beat-heavy tunes to help patients with MS walk easier.
One participant who could walk, but with some difficulty, told Bethoux that lessons from the study are helping his physical health.
“(The patient) said that since the study, he’s been using music during his exercise workouts, and he found that having the music with the rhythm really enhances his workouts,” Bethoux says. “He’s basically continued to use (the music) as a health-promoting tool, which was exactly what I was intending.”
Bethoux says the inspiring patient stories are endless, and it always makes him appreciate his career.
“When people have either a severe disease or a chronic disease… they may feel disconnected from the rest of the world." - Dr. Francois Bethoux
“We have quite a few testimonials on how using the arts or being exposed to the arts helped (patients) feel more connected. And that to me is the most rewarding. The Cleveland Clinic’s motto is ‘Patients First,’ so really, that’s what gives us pride–knowing that we have an impact on people’s lives,” Bethoux says.
Lydia Freudenberg is the brand loyalty specialist. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com
About the Expert
Francois Bethoux, MD, completed his medical studies and residency in Lyon, France focusing on physical medicine and rehabilitation. After moving from his home country of France to America, Bethoux completed a neuroimmunology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research. He remained on staff there and now serves as the director of the rehabilitation service. Bethoux is also the medical director of Cleveland Clinic Arts & Medicine Institute. His interests involve neuro-rehabilitation, spasticity management, and integrating art and music into the medical world.
