You might not think Taylor Swift and respiratory medicine have much in common, but a leading clinician-researcher believes the pop star has an important lesson for the specialty.

Writing in a column for Respirology [link here], Professor Christine Jenkins said the hype surrounding Swift’s Eras Tour, which hit Australian shores earlier this year, had made her curious to delve deeper into the exact nature of the attraction between the celebrity and her fans.

So the head of the Respiratory Group at the George Institute for Global Health immersed herself in Swift’s music and videos – studying her song lyrics, vocals and stage presence – and found the pop star’s appeal had much to do with relatability.

“She is their [Swifties’] modern-day prophet, echoing their experiences and delving into their unarticulated memories of joy and anguish,” Professor Jenkins noted.

Beyond her poetic lyricism and textured vocals, Professor Jenkins said respiratory medicine clinicians could learn from Swift’s energy, freshness and willingness to engage.

In her commentary, Professor Jenkins highlighted Swift’s decision to use her influence to speak up about politics and the importance of voting in the US election, which coincided with the registration of thousands of new voters.

Professor Jenkins said Swift’s decision to use her influence beyond her role as a singer, despite the risks involved, was something relevant to specialists and researchers who had their own opportunities to step outside their clinical roles.

“How much more can we do?” Professor Jenkins asked.

“We talk about whole of life lung health amongst ourselves, but we haven’t challenged the status quo, and in the wider community, lung disease is still better understood than lung health.

“This is a consequence of our clinical role, which is focused mostly on treating people and removing harms, often late in the course of disease, rather than being focused on primary prevention. It is time for us to speak about achieving and preserving lung health from birth, anytime we have the opportunity.”

Being more vocal about lung health to a wider audience would likely help engage patients, remove the stigma of respiratory disease and create public awareness that the lungs don’t automatically look after themselves, Professor Jenkins said.

It would also create a natural space for discussions around the growing evidence on lung health, including the role of early life and lifetime exposures, the potential for catch-up lung growth, the value of a healthy diet and maintaining physical activity and the importance of avoiding respiratory infections throughout life.

“Not only performers, but health professionals also have a stage, with patients and with their carers as their audience, much as we might not wish to think of ourselves this way,” Professor Jenkins wrote.

“However, it provides us with the opportunity to change the dialogue, and potentially affect more people’s lives than just the person in front of us.”