Exploring Patients' Experiences as a Primary Source of Meaning

Abstract

In this article, we propose an additional view of the patient in health communication research. Rather than conceiving of patients as recipients of and reactors to the messages of others, we propose a focus on patients as active interpreters, managers, and creators of the meaning of their health and illness. Such an approach requires a modification in the kinds of assumptions we bring to our research, the procedures we use, and the dissemination of our conclusions. The article outlines key assumptions necessary for a patient-centered health communication research: the centrality of patients' experiences, identity, and context. In addition, we propose a narrative perspective on patients' experiences gained through in-depth interviews, participant observation, ethnographic field work, and extant texts. Finally, we consider the special ethical requirements of patient-centered research.