Medical Humanities Companion

v. 1

Jane Macnaughton author Martyn Evans author Iona Heath author Rolf Ahlzen author Jane Macnaughton editor Martyn Evans editor Iona Heath editor Rolf Ahlzen editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd

Published:25th Sep '08

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Medical Humanities Companion cover

The phrase 'medical humanities' has a currency that is wider than any agreement as to what it means, though those engaged in the field usually know what they are attempting. This volume examines the idea of 'symptom' as a route to understanding the structure of clinical practice. Actual symptoms are always experienced by real, actual individuals - however much those experiences are mediated by language, culture, expectation and the conventions of the clinical consultation. And this in turn is important because it reminds us that health, illness, well-being, suffering are first and foremost aspects of experience. This book asks questions - and offers answers - about the meaning of actual symptoms and of the concept of 'symptom' as a prelude to a cumulative interdisciplinary understanding of illness as a source of human need, and clinical medicine as a human response to it.

'For those previously unfamiliar with the fields of Medical Humanities and Philosophy some chapters will make easier reading than others. However, all practitioners involved in clinical assessment and the evaluation of symptom presentation would benefit from its insights.' - John Richard Ashcroft, Counties Manukau District Health Board, New Zealand, Mental Health and Substance Use

ISBN: 9781846192869

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 294g

146 pages