Narratives in Clinical Practice: The essence of person centered care?

Main Article Content

James Appleyard

Abstract

From earliest times listening to a person’s story has been the essence of the patient-physician consultation. Evidence from the literature suggests that it is the core clinical skills of communication through questioning, delineating, interpreting, explaining and discerning meaning that provide a way of bringing together the very different perspectives of patients and health professionals.These narrative skills facilitate an awareness of both health and disease and take into consideration the biological, social psychological, spiritual and pathophysiological dimensions. In this context the science of objective measurements can be successfully integrated with the art of clinical experience and judgment.

Article Details

Section
Regular Articles
Author Biography

James Appleyard, British Medical Association International Association of Medical Colleges

Past President World Medical AssociationVice President of the British Medical AssociationHon Secretary to the Board of Trustees of the International Association of Medical Colleges 2007-President of the WMA Sept 2003-2004with special areas of interest in Human Rights, Child Health, and Health DatabasesProfessional Work Consultant Children’s Physician at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital from 1971-1998 Professor of Pediatrics, 1985-1995. Dean of Clinical Studies (UK) 1995-1997  St George’s University, Grenada W.I.Dean of Clinical Sciences, Kigezi International School of Medicine, Uganda 2000-2004 British Medical AssociationA Chief Officer for nine years as Chairman of Representative Body 1992-1995.and then as Treasurer 1996-2002 Ethics Chair of the WMA Ethics Committee 1995-1999 Member of the BMAs Ethics Committee 1992-2003Member of the East Kent Research Ethics Committee 2006- Treasurer and (Vice President)  of the British .Paediatric Association. 1983-1988PublicationsOn neonatal topics including coagulation disorders of the New Born,Children with disabilities, medical education, manpower and medical ethics in peer reviewed journals

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