Abstract

BARRAGAN SOLIS, Anabella. Root metaphor analysis as a category of representations of palliative care. Cuicuilco [online]. 2011, vol.18, n.52, pp.133-153. ISSN 0185-1659.

In December 2009, thirty four medical majors enrolled at the School of Medicine of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (National Polytechnic Institute) were surveyed to find out about their mental images on palliative care. All of them were already attending classes on Medicine and Healthcare taught by an algologist working at the Clinic for pain and palliative care at the Hospital General de México. This article's intention is to underline the importance and necessity of using qualitative research methodology to gather in-depth understanding that leads to core medical beliefs regarding pain and suffering. This opens up the possibility of establishing metaphorical categories for analysis. The results show the need to develop appropriate strategies to educate both medical doctors and interns regarding their beliefs, thus providing new meanings to their mental representations so as to provide better treatment(s) to their terminal patients when dealing with suffering and pain. A strategy that could also be extended to the patients' next of kin.

Keywords : palliative care; qualitative research; core beliefs; metaphorical categories; mental images; medical beliefs; uncurable patients; terminal patients.

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