title: Actors, patients and agency: a recent history.
abstract: This article examines the history of patients' behaviour since the middle of the 20(th) century. It describes a number of strategies that have served to encourage patients to exercise increasingly autonomous behaviour. The effect has been to instil a sense of agency in previously passive patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Practice, Kings College, London.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D010361:Patients / Q000266:history* / Q000523:psychology; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D012803:Sick Role
keywords: agency; autonomy; behaviour; patients