Negotiating Health Care: The Social Context of Chronic Illness / Edition 1

by Sally E. Thorne

Overview

The findings of a large qualitative research project which studied the experiences of the chronically ill within the health care system are presented here. Thorne demonstrates the vast difference between chronic and acute illness in terms of their social and health care consequences.

The book is divided into three sections: the first examines how patients handle the onset of diseases and acute episodes; the second explores the relationship with health care providers; and the final part focuses on the 'system' with its sociocultural and organizational agenda. The concluding chapter proposes future directions for health care organization, biomedical technology and social policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780803949188
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	03/24/1993
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

Sally Thorne, RN, Ph D, FAAN, FCAHS, is a Professor and former Director of the School of Nursing at the University of British Columbia, where she currently also holds the position of Associate Dean of Applied Science. She has a longstanding research program in the field of patient experience and relational practice in chronic illness and cancer care in addition to a body of scholarly work in the philosophy of science, the nature of evidence, and applied qualitative methodology. She is author of four books, including a popular qualitative research text on Interpretive Description. She has an extensive record of peer reviewed journal publications and has presented her work internationally as invited scholar, keynote lecturer and distinguished professor. She is Editor-in-Chief of the scholarly journal Nursing Inquiry and Associate Editor for Qualitative Health Research. She has served terms as Board Director for numerous organizations, including the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, and the Association of Registered Nurses of British Columbia, and is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Nursing and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.

Table of Contents

Background to the Chronic Illness Experience
PART ONE: THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCE
Onset and Diagnosis
Acuity and Chronicity
Normalcy and Visibility
PART TWO: THE INTERPERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Relationships With Health Care Providers
Trust and Confidence
PART THREE: THE INSTITUTIONAL EXPERIENCE
Confrontations With the Health Care System
Politics and Ideology
Response and Resolution
The Course Ahead

Editorial Reviews

Reports the findings of a large qualitative study of the experiences of the chronically ill, but does not specify whether the 77 informants are all Canadian. Thorne (nursing, U. of British Columbia) concludes that the health care system must recognize that chronic and acute illnesses are totally different social experiences, especially because of the widespread belief in miracle cures. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews