Trying the Patience of Patients: A Personal Reflection

Abstract

In the spirit of the theme of this current volume, this chapter offers a contribution to care/user-involved research in terms of a personal experience. It is argued that while recognizing how difficult it is for patients/care users to be ‘fully informed’, they should at least be ‘adequately’ informed. Full information can be confusing, daunting, anxiety-inducing and not necessarily helpful to the patient or service user. But adequate information can reduce uncertainty, return some power and sense of control to the user and consequently improve the patient experience. This experience is reflected by a former educator of health professionals who is now a full-time service user – hence the ‘expertise’ offered comes from both sides of the engagement. The focus is on problems associated with waiting for treatment.

Citation

Iphofen, R. (2023), "Trying the Patience of Patients: A Personal Reflection", O'Sullivan, R. (Ed.) Ethics and Integrity in Research with Older People and Service Users (Advances in Research Ethics and Integrity, Vol. 9), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 185-194. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-601820230000009010