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From personal challenge to technical fix: the risks of depersonalised care
Author(s) -
Reeve Joanne,
Lynch Tom,
LloydWilliams Mari,
Payne Sheila
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
health and social care in the community
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.984
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1365-2524
pISSN - 0966-0410
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2011.01026.x
Subject(s) - business , internet privacy , medicine , computer science
Abstract Our research focuses on the complexity of needs associated with distress in people with advanced cancer. We have recently completed a large longitudinal survey exploring the interplay between a number of components of distress, including depression, demoralisation, debility and spirituality, amongst a cohort of people living with terminal cancer. Participants were recruited from 25 hospices across the Northwest of England between 2007–2009. A purposive subsample of 27 people was invited to take part in a qualitative interview to explore in greater depth their personal experiences of living with illness and related distress. Holistic‐content analysis revealed two emerging themes: ‘personal or personalised care’ and ‘expectations of truth and certainty’. We discuss these themes in the light of Illich’s critique of health care as a ‘technical response to a personal challenge’. We highlight the need for further work to explore the impact of organisation of care on personalised need and suggest looking to the chronic illness self‐management literature for help in developing future palliative care approaches.