Narrative Based Healthcare

This is a workbook for health professionals working with diabetic patients. It is based on the experiences of one group of health care workers in an inner city area. It illustrates how using individual patients' stories can inform and help health care workers to understand and manage their patients' difficulties better. In this way it has similar aims to the narrative based medicine books. It also provides the interactive learning element with suggested learning objectives, assignments and further reading in each unit. Acknowledgements.

Introduction.

About this workbook.

About the Diabetes Sharing Stories Project.

About storytelling.

About learning in groups.

Group work objectives.

Unit 1 Learning about diabetes care - where should we start?.

Unit 2 The diagnosis of diabetes.

Unit 3 Diabetes in the family.

Unit 4 Check-ups and visits to the doctor.

Unit 5 Medication.

Unit 6 Supporting positive lifestyle choices.

Unit 7 Loneliness and lack of support.

Unit 8 Communicating across cultures.

Unit 9 Educating and supporting other health professionals.

Unit 10 Diabetes and women's health.

Appendix: Template for writing up a story.

Index.

Trisha Greenhalgh, Professor of Primary Health Care and Director, Healthcare Innovation and Policy Unit, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK.

Narrative Based Health Care: Sharing Stories recounts the experiences of a group of patients undergoing treatment for diabetes, may of whom are poor, socially isolated, and unable to communicate their fears and anxieties to health professionals.

The book is a practical and highly accessible supporting tool for GPs, nurses and health professionals interest in professionals development and improving services for patients. The innovative approach employed by Narrative Based Health Care is not limited to the understanding of diabetes and will therefore be of interest to all health professionals interested in addressing the clinical and service needs for any complex health problem.

The book covers a wide range of experiences, including:

• 
  
• Learning about diabetes
  
• The person with newly diagnosed diabetes
  
• Diabetes in the family
  
• Check-ups and visits to the doctor
  
• Medication
  
• Supporting positive lifestyle choices
  
• Loneliness and lack of support
  
• Communicating across cultures
  
• Educating and supporting other health professionals
  
• Diabetes and women's health