Abstract
Historically, the term pathography has been interpreted exclusively as written, printed narratives of illness in Hawkins, Reconstructing Illness: Studies in Pathography (1999). Since this publication, the digital age has emerged and new forms of media have become standard tools for communication. Thus, this research expands on the term pathography to include current technological forms of communication as well as printed texts. It explores the recurring trends that comprise Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) pathographies, while incorporating interpretive models from various communication theories as they apply to patients' communication strategies. These theories help to unravel the connotative meaning of LMS patient narratives, which include patients' fears, emotional support, alternative approaches, medical findings, and other various trends. This research explains how patients diagnosed with rare illnesses, such as LMS use current technology to communicate information throughout the globe, as well as make sense of their illness through various media. In addition, this research explores the notion that medicine involves more than orthodox scientific practices and standard treatment options. Seen holistically, illness involves a complex scope of a patient's daily life, which includes different forms of communication. The background for this research derives from academic journals, peer-reviewed articles, internet sites (blogs, social networking, emails, wikis, etc.), in print texts, and in person (interviews) sources.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Edwin Stieve
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-12-2013 1:00 PM
End Date
4-12-2013 5:30 PM
Communication Trends in the Pathographies of Leiomyosarcoma Patients
Alvin Sherman Library
Historically, the term pathography has been interpreted exclusively as written, printed narratives of illness in Hawkins, Reconstructing Illness: Studies in Pathography (1999). Since this publication, the digital age has emerged and new forms of media have become standard tools for communication. Thus, this research expands on the term pathography to include current technological forms of communication as well as printed texts. It explores the recurring trends that comprise Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) pathographies, while incorporating interpretive models from various communication theories as they apply to patients' communication strategies. These theories help to unravel the connotative meaning of LMS patient narratives, which include patients' fears, emotional support, alternative approaches, medical findings, and other various trends. This research explains how patients diagnosed with rare illnesses, such as LMS use current technology to communicate information throughout the globe, as well as make sense of their illness through various media. In addition, this research explores the notion that medicine involves more than orthodox scientific practices and standard treatment options. Seen holistically, illness involves a complex scope of a patient's daily life, which includes different forms of communication. The background for this research derives from academic journals, peer-reviewed articles, internet sites (blogs, social networking, emails, wikis, etc.), in print texts, and in person (interviews) sources.
