Abstract

This volume of papers is the long-awaited result of written contributions made by participants attending the conference entitled The Patient – Examining Realities, 5th Global Conference, held at Mansfield College, Oxford University, England, September, 2016. The conference organised by the multi-disciplinary academic forum Interdisciplinary Net attracted scholars and medical practitioners from across the world and became an intense three- day opportunity for fruitful discussion between professionals representing a number of disciplines: health and medical science, applied science such as occupational therapy, counselling practices, more abstract and spiritual healing practices through symbolic intervention – with, e.g., mandalas opening up an emotional and much needed dialogue between doctor and patient and encouraging patients also to engage in their own healing process – film and media studies, literature, etc. This book sheds light on research conducted by some of these conference participants – most of them medical professionals and healthcare providers employed by reputable academic institutions and who take a both scientific and practical interest in the healthcare industry and its practices. The book also includes discourses by academics with a more theoretical interest in health and spirituality and the often complex, even problematic, doctor-patient relationship. Research presented in this volume of conference papers is both steeped in cultural traditions and reflective of new trends in certain countries across the globe. Theories, practices and trends highlighted in the book are ultimately universal in that they concern all of us on a global level. We will all at some stage become patients and are already patients, to a greater or lesser extent, throughout our lives. Given this, it feels vital to engage the reader in a discourse which highlights aspects of medical care that need to be brought to the fore and to the public attention, and to – both as readers and writers – also reflect on feelings and concerns expressed by patients themselves. This will hopefully lead to a greater understanding of what it means to be a patient and to increased levels of sympathy and empathy for what patients are going through. In saying this, the volume equally much highlights the role and significance of medical practitioners in times of increased patient rights and of pressing concerns, demands and expectations placed on the healthcare industry, at least in the Western world.