Dr. Pete Kellett (Communication Studies) is the editor of a new book: “Narrating Patienthood: Engaging Diverse Voices on Health, Communication, and the Patient Experience,” published by Lexington Books. It is part of the Series:”Lexington Studies in Health Communication.”
Through various narrative methods, including personal narrative research, autoethnography, and others, this book shows how diversity and difference play important roles in how people experience illness and health care as patients. Listening to such engaging and personal stories can provide insight, understanding, and advocacy for change. Part 1 of the book focuses on how narrative and narration of experiences can lead to learning, empowerment, and advocacy. Part 2 focuses on differences that make a difference (including race, class, gender, sexuality, and disability). Part 3 illustrates how personal, relational, professional, and cultural aspects of identity intersect to shape patient experiences. Centrally, the book focuses on how patients’ stories can help us to rethink, reimagine, and reformulate what health communication means in practice.
This book is the second in an ongoing series by Kellett to explore communication dimensions of the patient experience, which began with the 2017 solo authored volume “Patienthood and communication: A personal narrative of eye disease and vision loss,” New York, NY: Peter Lang. The upcoming co-edited volume is next in the series and due out in late spring: Kellett, Peter M. & Hawkins, Jennifer M. (2019) (Eds.). “Women’s narratives of health disruption and illness: within and across their life stories.” Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
A brownbag discussion of the book is being planned for spring semester as part of the HIRN group. Contact Kellett for further details at pmkellet@uncg.edu.
