The foundation of patient-centered care is the patient-professional relationship. By exploring both the disease and patients' unique experience of illness, healthcare professionals take into consideration their individual needs as well as their emotional and physical concerns. Using narratives to describe experiences of patients and professionals, this book reveals the four interactive components of the patient-centered clinical method: exploring health, disease and illness; understanding the whole person; finding common ground; and enhancing the patient-doctor relationship. The concluding chapters illustrate ways in which all four components interact with and complement each other and can be used in unison to the immeasurable benefit of both patient and professional. The stimulating narratives are all based on recent developments in the theoretical model of patient-centred clinical care. This wide-ranging, thought-provoking text is highly relevant to a wide range of healthcare professionals as well as medical educators and healthcare students. For physicians, narratives provide insight and illumination of what it truly means to be patient-centered. They also help clinicians to examine, in a reflective manner, what it means to be a healer. From the Introduction

Series editors' introduction. About the editors. List of contributors. Acknowledgments. Introduction. Component I: exploring health, disease and illness experience. Narratives illustrating component I: exploring health, disease and illness experience. Loss of voice - loss of self. The lonely journey with lupus. Frozen. A falling star. Living with a chronic illness. The bear that saved her life. Conquering pain and fear. Facing an incurable condition. Clearing the path. A ray of hope. Component II: understanding the whole person. Narratives illustrating component II: understanding the whole. Losses and gains. I am just an addict - can I trust you - can you trust me? The issue at hand. I want to die at home. A young boy's journey. Victor brings victory. New beginnings. The onlookers. The criminal. Understanding the whole person without knowing the whole person. Component III: finding common ground. Narratives illustrating component III: finding common ground. Let it be. The alliance. Infusing humanity into the resuscitative context. A tale of spunk and smoke. Indelible ink - part 1. Indelible ink - part 2. Growing into a mom. You're not listening to me! A sad refrain. Unexplored territory 1. Component IV: enhancing the patient-doctor relationship. Narratives illustrating component IV: enhancing the patient-doctor relationship. Unexplored territory 2. A healing presence. A familiar kiss good-bye. A gift offered - a gift received. A misalignment offers understanding. Part 1: the depth of shame. Part 2: the depth of shame. An urgent request - a delayed response. The patient-physician relationship over time. Restoring the healer. The four interactive components of the patient-centered clinical method. Narratives illustrating the four interactive components of the patient-centered clinical method. Looking for hope - finding compassion: part 1. Looking for hope - finding compassion: part 2. Itching to be treated. Part 1 - not a typical teenager 1. Part 2 - not a typical teenager 2. More than just a tummy ache. Continuity equals care. The heartsink patient. A case in complexity - part 1. A case in complexity - part 2. References. Index.