21 June 2012, 4 pm
Canynge Hall, Room LG.08
Charlotte is an experienced general practitioner and an Honorary Senior Research Fellow. Her research interests include individualised outcome measures and complementary medicine and she has a keen interest in methodology and experience of both qualitative and quantitative methods, including qualitative synthesis using meta-ethnography. She has developed individualised outcome questionnaires including the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile, MYMOP. Acupuncture has been a focus of her research for many years and recently this has included a randomised trial of traditional acupuncture for people with medically unexplained symptoms (the CACTUS study) and an ongoing programme of observational qualitative work investigating the acupuncture consultation.
Synopsis
Charlotte will present the results of a qualitative study of communication about self-care in traditional acupuncture consultations and discuss the findings in relation to current debates about self-care interventions in primary care. This study was done in collaboration with Dr Maggie Evans.
In the study 27 audio-recorded and transcribed acupuncture consultations, involving 7 practitioners, were augmented by integrating the data from 15 patient interviews and regular practitioner discussions. Analysis indicated that the self-care talk was initiated equally by practitioner and patient, and was threaded through and between acupuncture consultations. It involved interactive discussions that were interwoven with other types of talk, especially life-world and acupuncture talk. The self-care talk was co-constructed within the context of a relationship that was characterised by continuity, mutuality and trust and practitioner engagement in self-care talk appeared to increase with experience.
These findings suggest that self-care support and advice was integral to the practice of traditional acupuncture and individualised in terms of the patient’s life-world and/or the Chinese medicine diagnosis. They also demonstrate that the co-construction of self-care talk did not replicate the asymmetry of conventional medical consultations.
Please contact Charlene for further information.
The seminar is free, and all are welcome without needing to book a place. If you have difficulties with stairs, we have a lift to provide access to the lower ground floor.