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Batzler YN, Schallenburger M, Schwartz J, Marazia C, Neukirchen M. Destigmatizing Palliative Care among Young Adults-A Theoretical Intervention Mapping Approach. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:1863. [PMID: 39337204 PMCID: PMC11431308 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12181863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2024] [Revised: 09/11/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: In medicine, stigmatization pertains to both afflicted individuals and diseases themselves but can also encompass entire medical fields. In regard to demographic change and the rising prevalence of oncological diseases, palliative care will become increasingly important. However, palliative care faces multiple stigmas. These include equating of palliative care with death and dying. A timely integration of palliative care would have the potential to alleviate symptom burden, diminish the risk of overtreatment, and thus save healthcare-related costs. Several interventions have been developed to destigmatize palliative care. However, they have mainly focused on the general public. Aim: The aim of this work is to develop a theoretical framework for an interventional campaign targeted at young adults to systematically destigmatize palliative care. Methods: The basis for the development of the campaign is a systematic review conducted by our working group that assessed the perception and knowledge of palliative care of young adults aged 18 to 24 years. To design a possible intervention, the Intervention Mapping approach was used. Results: The target group of young adults can be effectively reached in secondary schools, vocational schools, and universities. The target population should be able to discuss the content of palliative care and openly talk about death and dying. At the environmental level, palliative care should be more present in public spaces, and death and dying should be freed from taboos. Within an intervention with palliative care experts and patients serving as interventionists, these changes can be achieved by incorporating evidence-based methods of behavioral change. Conclusions: An early engagement with palliative care could contribute to the long-term reduction of stigmas and address the demographic shift effectively. A multimodal intervention approach comprising knowledge dissemination, exchange, and media presence provides an appropriate framework to counter the existing stigmatization of palliative care within the peer group of young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann-Nicolas Batzler
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Manuela Schallenburger
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Jacqueline Schwartz
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Chantal Marazia
- Department of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Martin Neukirchen
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Batzler YN, Schallenburger M, Schwartz J, Marazia C, Neukirchen M. The General Public and Young Adults' Knowledge and Perception of Palliative Care: A Systematic Review. Healthcare (Basel) 2024; 12:957. [PMID: 38786369 PMCID: PMC11121430 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12100957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: As a result of demographic change, chronic and oncological diseases are gaining importance in the context of public health. Palliative care plays a crucial role in maintaining the quality of life of those affected. International guidelines demand access to palliative care not only for the elderly but also for younger people who face severe illnesses. It can be assumed that palliative care will become increasingly important for them. In order to develop public health strategies which are able to promote palliative care, it is important to assess the knowledge of, and attitude towards, palliative care as found among members of the general public and its specific target groups. In particular, little is known about young adults' knowledge and perceptions of palliative care. Objectives and design: This work aimed to assess the understanding and viewpoints regarding palliative care among the general population and among young adults aged 18 to 24. We therefore conducted a systematic review, which, for this target population, could be seen as a novel approach. Methods: Exclusion and inclusion criteria were developed using the PICOS process. Literature was researched within MEDLINE (via PubMed), Google Scholar and Web of Science. A search string was developed and refined for all three databases. Grey literature was included. Duplicates were excluded using Mendeley. The literature was independently screened by two researchers. Narrative synthesis was used to answer the main research question. Results: For the general public, palliative care is still associated with death and dying and comforting sick people towards the end of their lives. Multiple social determinants are linked to better knowledge of palliative care: higher education, higher income, female gender, having relatives that received palliative care, and permanent employment. The population's knowledge of palliative care structures increases, the longer such structures have been established within a country. Young adults are familiar with the term palliative care, yet their understanding lacks nuance. They associate palliative care with death and dying and perceive palliative care to be a medical discipline primarily for the elderly. Nevertheless, young adults demand participation within the planning of interventions to destigmatize palliative care. Conclusions: The general public still lacks a detailed understanding of palliative care. Palliative care faces stigma at multiple levels, which creates barriers for those who set out to implement it. However, addressing young adults as a crucial peer group can help break down barriers and promote access to palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann-Nicolas Batzler
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Manuela Schallenburger
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Jacqueline Schwartz
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
| | - Chantal Marazia
- Department of the History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany;
| | - Martin Neukirchen
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Palliative Medicine, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; (Y.-N.B.); (J.S.); (M.N.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Brennan ME, Bell K, Hamid G, Gilchrist J, Gillingham J. Consumer experiences of shame in clinical encounters for breast cancer treatment. "Who do you think you are- Angelina Jolie?". Breast 2023; 72:103587. [PMID: 37812962 PMCID: PMC10568266 DOI: 10.1016/j.breast.2023.103587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Shame is a powerful negative emotion that has the potential to affect health. Due to the intimate nature of breast cancer treatment and its impact on body image, it is hypothesised that shame may be experienced during treatment. The aim of this study was to explore shame experiences related to clinical encounters for breast cancer treatment. METHODS People with a lived experience of breast cancer were invited to anonymously share their stories of shame through an online survey. Using qualitative methodology, the stories were examined, and themes identified. PARTICIPANTS Participants were members of the consumer organisation Breast Cancer Network Australia. RESULTS Stories were contributed by 38 participants. Most (n = 28, 73.7 %) were >5 years post-diagnosis. Shame was experienced in a range of clinical settings (consulting rooms, wards, operating theatres, radiotherapy departments). They involved a different health professionals (oncologists, surgeons, nurses, radiation therapists, psychologists.) Five themes were identified: (1) Body shame (sub-themes: Naked/vulnerable and Weight), (2) Communication (subthemes: Lack of compassion/impersonal manner and Not listening), (3) Being blamed (subthemes: diagnosis and complications), (4) Feeling unworthy (subthemes: Burden to staff and Unworthy of care), (5) Judgement for treatment choices. CONCLUSIONS Shame can be experienced in a range of situations, from scrutiny of the naked body to comments from health professionals. The impact of these experiences is profound, and the feelings of shame are carried for many years. These findings can inform strategies to support consumers and educate health professionals with the aim of reducing harm related to cancer treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Brennan
- Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia; National School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame Australia, NSW, Australia; Westmead Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - K Bell
- Consumer representative, Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA), Victoria, Australia
| | - G Hamid
- Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia
| | | | - J Gillingham
- Westmead Breast Cancer Institute, Westmead Hospital, NSW, Australia
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Warren A. Can a translational science approach change the dementia narrative in medical education? FRONTIERS IN DEMENTIA 2023; 2:1288817. [PMID: 39081977 PMCID: PMC11285690 DOI: 10.3389/frdem.2023.1288817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Warren
- The Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
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Frush BW. Courage, Grace, and Community: On Virtue in Training. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023; 65:e171-e173. [PMID: 34954067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2021.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin W Frush
- Vanderbilt Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency training program at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Monroe Carroll Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS The emotional underpinnings that facilitate and complicate the practice of ethical principles like respect warrant sustained interdisciplinary attention. In this article, I suggest that shame is a requisite component of the emotional repertoire than makes respect for persons possible. MATERIALS & METHODS I use person-centered interview data from a sample of 54 physicians (including 35 surgeons), 60% of whom are women, to examine the emergence and endurance of shame as a mood with moral significance. Drawing on anthropologist Throop's concept of a moral mood, I explore physicians' first-person narratives of the endurance of shame experiences. RESULTS Narratives demonstrate that shame inheres in biomedical contexts that reinforce the physician's responsibilization and culpability for events beyond their control. As a persistent cognitive and affective state, mooded shame is a recursive and compulsory motive force for a physician's dynamic evolution as a moral actor. DISCUSSION Variably distressing, looming and commonplace, mooded shame becomes an atmospheric and imaginative mode through which physicians contemplate their responsibilities and connections to patients. Sometimes in a hypercognized manner that conceals its emotional roots, physicians link the mood of shame to their incessant efforts to fulfill responsibilities to each unique patient. CONCLUSION I suggest that through reflection made possible within mooded shame, physicians develop a sense of being both accountable to and alongside patients, and I explore the ties between this position and philosophical concepts of respect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Bromley
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Anthropology, Center for Health Services and Society, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Cheston K. (Dis)respect and shame in the context of 'medically unexplained' illness. J Eval Clin Pract 2022; 28:909-916. [PMID: 35899324 PMCID: PMC9796720 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
A significant proportion of somatic symptoms remain, at present, medically unexplained. These symptoms are common, can affect any part of the body, and can result in a wide range of outcomes-from a minor, transient inconvenience to severe, chronic disability-but medical testing reveals no observable pathology. This paper explores two first-person accounts of so-called 'medically unexplained' illness: one that is published in a memoir, and the other produced during a semi-structured interview. Both texts are revelatory for their expression of shame in the context of encountering disrespect from healthcare professionals. The first section of my paper, clinical encounters, explores disrespect which, I argue, takes three interconnecting forms in these texts: disrespect for pain when it is seen as 'medically unexplained', disrespect for the patient's account of her own pain, and disrespect for the patient herself. The second section elucidates the shame that occurs as an affective and embodied consequence of encountering such disrespect. I claim that patients living with so-called 'medically unexplained' illnesses suffer a double burden. They endure both somatic and social suffering-not only their symptoms, but also disrespectful, traumatic and shame-inducing experiences of healthcare systems. I conclude with a reflection on the urgent need for changes in clinical training that could improve the quality of life for these patients, even in the absence of an explanation, treatment or cure for their symptoms.
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Destigmatizing and Democratizing Postpartum Care: A "Black Woman-Person First" Approach. Clin Obstet Gynecol 2022; 65:663-675. [PMID: 35723647 PMCID: PMC9301983 DOI: 10.1097/grf.0000000000000729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Optimizing postpartum care highlights the need for care coordination, enhancement, and expansion of health care services after childbirth. Yet the prioritization of disease surveillance, management, and mitigation during birth and beyond within the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology facilitates the medicalization and pathologization of Black bodies, voices, and power. Thus, we offer the Building and Bridging Black Futures Beyond Birth Model: A 12-Step Black Woman-Person First Approach, as a more humane and holistic model of culturally affirming and clinically responsive care. Destigmatizing and democratizing care bridges the gap between intent and impact in postpartum care optimization, particularly for Black women, girls, and gender expansive people and their communities.
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Lyu X, Liu Y, Yu H, Mi M, Shang L, Zhong Y, Xie D. Development and validation of a risk perception scale of medical help-seeking behavior in Chinese adults. ANNALS OF TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE 2020; 8:1352. [PMID: 33313097 PMCID: PMC7723601 DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-1656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND When people require medical treatment, many risk factors including adverse medical events, economic burdens, and social-psychological consequences may contribute to their hesitation to seek medical help. Therefore, a reliable and valid instrument that can comprehensively assess the risk perception of medical help-seeking behavior among ordinary Chinese adults should be developed. METHODS The basic dimensions of the scale were determined based on literature review and in-depth interviews with patients. Then, an item pool with 32 items and six dimensions was developed. After the item reduction process based on item and factor analyses, a three-factor, 16-item scale was established. From March 2019, this scale was distributed among 639 healthy adults, outpatients, or inpatients in 20 provinces and municipalities in the mainland of China by convenience sampling. Then, the reliability and validity of the scale were examined. RESULTS The scale consists of three dimensions (treatment risks, burden risks, and stigma risks) and 16 items. The root-mean-square error of approximation, comparative fit index, and Tucker-Lewis index of this model were 0.069, 0.925, and 0.910, respectively. The internal consistency reliability of the scale was 0.893, and the test-retest reliability was 0.784. The criterion-related validity was 0.720 (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The risk perception scale of medical help-seeking behavior is a reliable and valid instrument to measure Chinese adults' perception for potential risks in the process of medical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaokang Lyu
- Computational Social Science Laboratory, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Huaran Yu
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingdi Mi
- Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lijun Shang
- Computational Social Science Laboratory, Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yifan Zhong
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dong Xie
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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Carrieri D, Pearson M, Mattick K, Papoutsi C, Briscoe S, Wong G, Jackson M. Interventions to minimise doctors’ mental ill-health and its impacts on the workforce and patient care: the Care Under Pressure realist review. HEALTH SERVICES AND DELIVERY RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.3310/hsdr08190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
The growing incidence of mental ill-health in health professionals, including doctors, is a global concern. Although a large body of literature exists on interventions that offer support, advice and/or treatment to sick doctors, it has not yet been synthesised in a way that takes account of the complexity and heterogeneity of the interventions, and the many dimensions (e.g. individual, organisational, sociocultural) of the problem.
Objectives
Our aim was to improve understanding of how, why and in what contexts mental health services and support interventions can be designed to minimise the incidence of doctors’ mental ill-health. The objectives were to review interventions to tackle doctors’ mental ill-health and its impact on the clinical workforce and patient care, drawing on diverse literature sources and engaging iteratively with diverse stakeholder perspectives to produce actionable theory; and recommendations that support the tailoring, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of contextually sensitive strategies to tackle mental ill-health and its impacts.
Design
Realist literature review consistent with the Realist And Meta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards quality and reporting standards.
Data sources
Bibliographic database searches were developed and conducted using MEDLINE (1946 to November week 4 2017), MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-indexed Citations (1946 to 6 December 2017) and PsycINFO (1806 to November week 2 2017) (all via Ovid) and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (1987 to 6 December 2017) (via ProQuest) on 6 December 2017. Further UK-based studies were identified by forwards and author citation searches, manual backwards citation searching and hand-searching relevant journal websites.
Review methods
We included all studies that focused on mental ill-health; all study designs; all health-care settings; all studies that included medical doctors/medical students; descriptions of interventions or resources that focus on improving mental ill-health and minimising its impacts; all mental health outcome measures, including absenteeism (doctors taking short-/long-term sick leave); presenteeism (doctors working despite being unwell); and workforce retention (doctors leaving the profession temporarily/permanently). Data were extracted from included articles and the data set was subjected to realist analysis to identify context–mechanism–outcome configurations.
Results
A total of 179 out of 3069 records were included. Most were from the USA (45%) and had been published since 2009 (74%). More included articles focused on structural-level interventions (33%) than individual-level interventions (21%), but most articles (46%) considered both levels. Most interventions focused on prevention, rather than treatment/screening, and most studies referred to doctors/physicians in general, rather than to specific specialties or career stages. Nineteen per cent of the included sources provided cost information and none reported a health economic analysis. The 19 context–mechanism–outcome configurations demonstrated that doctors were more likely to experience mental ill-health when they felt isolated or unable to do their job, and when they feared repercussions of help-seeking. Healthy staff were necessary for excellent patient care. Interventions emphasising relationships and belonging were more likely to promote well-being. Interventions creating a people-focused working culture, balancing positive/negative performance and acknowledging positive/negative aspects of a medical career helped doctors to thrive. The way that interventions were implemented seemed critically important. Doctors needed to have confidence in an intervention for the intervention to be effective.
Limitations
Variable quality of included literature; limited UK-based studies.
Future work
Use this evidence synthesis to refine, implement and evaluate interventions.
Study registration
This study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42017069870.
Funding
This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 8, No. 19. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Carrieri
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Mark Pearson
- Wolfson Palliative Care Research Centre, Hull York Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Karen Mattick
- College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Chrysanthi Papoutsi
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Simon Briscoe
- Exeter HSDR Evidence Synthesis Centre, Institute of Health Research, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Geoff Wong
- Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Mark Jackson
- Wellcome Centre for Cultures and Environments of Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Coyle LA, Atkinson S. Vulnerability as practice in diagnosing multiple conditions. MEDICAL HUMANITIES 2019; 45:278-287. [PMID: 29950507 PMCID: PMC6818667 DOI: 10.1136/medhum-2017-011433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The paper contributes to contemporary understandings of vulnerability by expanding their scope with an understanding of vulnerability as generated through institutionalised practices. The argument draws on experiential accounts of navigating the practices of diagnosis by people living with multiple conditions of ill-health and disability. Vulnerability as a concept is used widely across different domains and conveys a multitude of meanings. Contemporary biomedicine, and its associated health systems and services, understands vulnerability mostly as inherent to particular physical and mental bodily conditions that put people at risk of ill-health or emotionally fragility. This may combine with a more epidemiological understanding of vulnerability as the experience of certain population groups subject to entrenched structural inequalities. Philosophers and feminists have argued that vulnerability is a universal experience of being human while political commentators have explored its potential as a resource for resistance and action. Diagnosis within medicine and psychiatry has been the subject of extensive social analysis, critique and activism. The paper draws on first-hand experiential accounts collected through face-to-face interviews with people living with multiple conditions about their experiences of diagnosis, mostly at the primary care level. We identify five aspects to diagnostic practice that are harmful and exacerbate the experience of vulnerability: temporal sequencing; diagnostic authority; medical specialisation; strategic symptom selection; medical isolation. However, these diagnostic practices are not best understood only in terms of the power asymmetries inherent to the medical consultation, but are embedded into the very institution of diagnosis. The paper thus proposes a combined approach to vulnerability that recognises it as a universal condition of humanity but one that becomes animated or amplified for some bodies, through their own inherent incapacities or the external structures of inequality, and through the practices of medicine as situated in particular times and places.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Atkinson
- Institute for Medical Humanities, Durham University, Durham, UK
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