The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis

Long-term conditions and accompanied co-morbidities now affect about a quarter of the UK population. Enabling patients and caregivers to communicate their experience of illness in their own words is vital to developing a shared understanding of the condition and its impact on patients’ and caregive...

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Main Authors: Heidi Lempp, Chris Tang, Emily Heavey, Katherine Bristowe, Helen Allan, Vanessa Lawrence, Beatriz Santana Suarez, Ruth Williams, Lisa Hinton, Karen Gillett, Anne Arber
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2024-01-01
Series:Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
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Online Access:https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11336
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author Heidi Lempp
Chris Tang
Emily Heavey
Katherine Bristowe
Helen Allan
Vanessa Lawrence
Beatriz Santana Suarez
Ruth Williams
Lisa Hinton
Karen Gillett
Anne Arber
author_facet Heidi Lempp
Chris Tang
Emily Heavey
Katherine Bristowe
Helen Allan
Vanessa Lawrence
Beatriz Santana Suarez
Ruth Williams
Lisa Hinton
Karen Gillett
Anne Arber
author_sort Heidi Lempp
collection DOAJ
description Long-term conditions and accompanied co-morbidities now affect about a quarter of the UK population. Enabling patients and caregivers to communicate their experience of illness in their own words is vital to developing a shared understanding of the condition and its impact on patients’ and caregivers’ lives and in delivering person-centred care. Studies of patient language show how metaphors provide insight into the physical and emotional world of the patient, but such studies are often limited by their focus on a single illness. The authors of this study undertook a secondary qualitative data analysis of 25 interviews, comparing the metaphors used by patients and parents of patients with five longterm conditions. Analysis shows how similar metaphors can be used in empowering and disempowering ways as patients strive to accept illness in their daily lives and how metaphor use depends on the manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of individual conditions. The study concludes with implications for how metaphorical expressions can be attended to by healthcare professionals as part of shared care planning.
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institution Kabale University
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language English
publishDate 2024-01-01
publisher KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
record_format Article
series Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
spelling doaj-art-8f626aeea76c42858fb841d0f218df8b2025-08-20T03:33:46ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare2532-20442024-01-017310.4081/qrmh.2023.11336The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysisHeidi Lempp0Chris Tang1Emily Heavey2Katherine Bristowe3Helen Allan4Vanessa Lawrence5Beatriz Santana Suarez6Ruth Williams7Lisa Hinton 8Karen Gillett9Anne Arber10Department of Inflammation Biology, King’s College LondonSchool of Education, King’s College LondonSchool of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield, KirkleesCicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King’s College LondonSchool of Health and Education, Middlesex University, LondonInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College LondonDepartment of Inflammation Biology, King’s College LondonDepartment of Inflammation Biology, King’s College LondonNuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of OxfordFaculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care King’s College, LondonFaculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford Long-term conditions and accompanied co-morbidities now affect about a quarter of the UK population. Enabling patients and caregivers to communicate their experience of illness in their own words is vital to developing a shared understanding of the condition and its impact on patients’ and caregivers’ lives and in delivering person-centred care. Studies of patient language show how metaphors provide insight into the physical and emotional world of the patient, but such studies are often limited by their focus on a single illness. The authors of this study undertook a secondary qualitative data analysis of 25 interviews, comparing the metaphors used by patients and parents of patients with five longterm conditions. Analysis shows how similar metaphors can be used in empowering and disempowering ways as patients strive to accept illness in their daily lives and how metaphor use depends on the manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of individual conditions. The study concludes with implications for how metaphorical expressions can be attended to by healthcare professionals as part of shared care planning. https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11336Illness experiencelong term conditionsmetaphorssecondary data analysis
spellingShingle Heidi Lempp
Chris Tang
Emily Heavey
Katherine Bristowe
Helen Allan
Vanessa Lawrence
Beatriz Santana Suarez
Ruth Williams
Lisa Hinton
Karen Gillett
Anne Arber
The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
Qualitative Research in Medicine & Healthcare
Illness experience
long term conditions
metaphors
secondary data analysis
title The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
title_full The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
title_fullStr The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
title_full_unstemmed The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
title_short The use of metaphors by service users with diverse long-term conditions: a secondary qualitative data analysis
title_sort use of metaphors by service users with diverse long term conditions a secondary qualitative data analysis
topic Illness experience
long term conditions
metaphors
secondary data analysis
url https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/qrmh/article/view/11336
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