Hermeneutics of the Patient's Discourse

Abstract

Illness episodes are events in the life of patients, which stand out in their narratives. Being ill is to be interpreted as ill. In this hermeneutical process, the analysing of the story is decisive. The objective of our study has been to analyse the clinical interviews of patients with respiratory diseases. Through qualitative methodology, codes related to the experience of the disease were created. Subsequently, the textual content linked to the codes was discussed considering the contemporary hermeneutical philosophy. Text coding of the text shows that the units of meaning related to respiratory disease occupy less than a half of those of the textual corpus. If we circumscribe the encounter from a conventional point of view, we can consider just of part of the speech of the patient, which is predetermined by our methods and conceptual networks. Human experience is associated with the act of telling in time. The testimonies show that health is an unconscious process, when everything flows smoothly, without obstacles. It is the ability to achieve vital goals. The disease alters the life of the patient, his projects and the previous balance.