Practising Less is More: An Exploration of What it Means to See "This Patient" Not a "Patient Like This". in Journal of bioethical inquiry / J Bioeth Inq. 2024 Sep 9. doi: 10.1007/s11673-024-10378-4.

2024
ASL Città di Torino

Tipo pubblicazione

Journal Article

Autori/Collaboratori (4)Vedi tutti...

Bobbio M
Slow Medicine Italia, Via Pietra del Gallo 45, 10025, Pino Torinese, (TO), Italy. mbobbio51@gmail.com.
Chiarlo M
Saint John Bosco Hospital, Ospedale San Giovanni Bosco, Turin, Italy.
Arcadi P
ASST Melegnano and of Martesana: Aziende Socio Sanitarie Territoriale Melegnano e della Martesana, Melegnano, Italy.

et alii...

Abstract

In the last decade literature focused on a "less is more" approach has been primarily represented by clinical cases describing the excesses of an aggressive, redundant, non-personalized, and non-respectful medicine. Most of these articles focus on a "more is worse" approach and centre around the downstream negative consequences of medical overuse. Having identified a gap in the literature on the experience and practice of less, rather than the harms of excess, we carried out an exploratory qualitative study into how a "less is more" approach works in practice. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was adopted to allow us to examine the realm of lived experience as a valid data source and as a path from which to understand a "less is more" approach "from the bedside." A Phenomenology of Practice was chosen as a more specific frame for this research because of its added focus on action and practical application in professional settings. Seventy stories written by physicians, patients, nurses, caregivers, and other health professionals have been received and analysed. These stories were gathered as part of a project called "Slow Stories" which aimed to collect clinical cases that have been positively resolved by adopting a "less is more" approach to patient care. After having conducted an in-depth analysis, separately and as a group, the researchers identified five key phenomenological themes; Time to relate is time to heal; Doing more does not mean doing better; Settings for a slow medicine; Slow care at the end of life; and Personalized vs. standardized treatment. Each of these themes offers insights into how a "less is more" approach can be used in practice and illustrates how a "less is more" strategy can play a significant role in positively resolving certain clinical cases.

Accesso banca dati bibliografica

PMID : 39249629

DOI : 10.1007/s11673-024-10378-4

Keywords

Bioethics; Narrative medicine; Respect; Slow medicine;