Inspiring change: humanities and social science insights into the experience and management of breathlessness

This article discusses a number of current issues in understanding the experience of breathlessness. Recent findings: Effective communication concerning the experience of breathlessness is crucial for diagnosis, to identify appropriate treatment, and to provide patients with the capacity to self-manage their condition. However, there is an evident disconnect between the way breathlessness is understood between clinical and lay perspectives, in terms of awareness of breathlessness, the way symptoms are expressed, and acknowledgement of how it affects the daily lives of patients. Summary: The review highlights the need for integrated multidisciplinary work on breathlessness, and suggests that effective understanding and management of breathlessness considers its wider subjective and social significance.
Source: Current Opinion in Supportive and Palliative Care - Category: Palliative Care Tags: RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: Edited by David C. Currow and Miriam J. Johnson Source Type: research