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Speaking from the Inside: Challenges Faced by Communication Researchers Investigating Disease-Related Issues in a Hospital Setting

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Abstract

This commentary came from within the framework of integrating the humanities in medicine and from accompanying research on disease-related issues by teams involving clinicians and researchers in medical humanities. The purpose is to reflect on the challenges faced by researchers when conducting emotionally laden research and on how they impact observations and subsequent research findings. This commentary is furthermore a call to action since it promotes the institutionalization of a supportive context for medical humanities researchers who have not been trained to cope with sensitive medical topics in research. To that end, concrete recommendations regarding training and supervision were formulated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychiatric Liaison Service, Lausanne University Hospital, Les Allières, 1011, Lausanne, CHUV, Switzerland

    Céline Bourquin, Friedrich Stiefel & Pascal Singy

Authors
  1. Céline Bourquin
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  2. Friedrich Stiefel
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  3. Pascal Singy
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Correspondence to Céline Bourquin.

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Bourquin, C., Stiefel, F. & Singy, P. Speaking from the Inside: Challenges Faced by Communication Researchers Investigating Disease-Related Issues in a Hospital Setting. J Med Humanit 36, 251–255 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-014-9325-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10912-014-9325-1

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