title: The recognition and use of patient expertise on a unit for older people.
abstract: There is growing recognition in health care of the expertise patients bring to the management of their own illness or condition. But some patient groups, including older people, may need encouragement to see their own coping strategies as expertise, and nurses have an important role to play in ensuring that patients' experiences are acknowledged and made central to the care offered. This article describes a study of patients' and professionals' views of patient expertise. It concludes that although disruption can occur when older people are admitted to hospital, this can be minimised if they are perceived as experts in their own condition and information supplied to them is based upon such acknowledgement.
authors.affiliation: Royal Victoria Hospital, Dundee.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cavanagh
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millar
authors.forename: Ella
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McLafferty
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003657:Decision Making; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D005851:Geriatric Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006117:Grief; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017008:Negotiating / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012606:Scotland; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012944:Social Support