The increasing popularity of integrative medicine requires that we understand the meaning that patients attribute to their treatment experience. This project was a phenomenological study that sought to understand how nine chronically ill patients perceived their experience of living with illnesses and the treatment process at the integrative clinic. My findings reveal that their illnesses disrupted their life and were a threat to their self. An impetus combined with the influence of the social sphere led patients to join the clinic. The relationship with caregivers at the clinic was an important component of the treatment process and provided participants with the knowledge necessary to manage their illnesses. The positive interaction with caregivers enhanced patient empowerment and improved patient participation. Following treatments at the clinic, the majority of participants felt that their health had improved and that they had returned to their old self. Many had set future goals.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/28651 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Richard, Nathalie |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 99 p. |
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