Breaking the patientification process - through co-creation of care, using old arctic survival knowledge

Abstract

Purpose: Cancer research and connected innovation processes often lack a major component; patient participation. We revisit three studies (a-c) in order to explore how Momentary contentment theory may be used to improve patient participation and psychosocial health.

Method: We revisited data from the initial (a) classic grounded theory study on Momentary contentment, based on four years of observation and 14 interviews. It explains a way of dealing with life close to death and morbidity. In the imminence of danger the studied culture resembles the context of cancer patients. The two following studies used focus group interviews with (b) 19 cancer patients and (c) 17 relatives of cancer patients in southern Sweden.

Results: We suggest a process where cancer patients are taught to be submissive and that the support they receive from health providers may be counterproductive to contentment; a patientification process. We present alternative ways for people to handle issues such as hope, waiting, knowledge gaps and healthcare navigation while living with cancer. We introduce an alternative to patientification and passive patients where active patients create their own safety and truly participates in their care.

Conclusions: We propose clinical studies to introduce such a shift from patentification to co-creation of care.

Keywords: Cancer; co-creation; design thinking; health; hope; identity; innovation; patient perspective; rehabilitation; waiting.

Figure 1.

Diamond of participatory decision-making

Figure 2.

Patientification process

Figure 3.

Momentary contentment process

Figure 4.

Illustration of “Scanxiety”

Figure 5.

Overcoming Scanxiety