Book Review
The person as patient – Psychosocial perspectives for the health care professional
Ramsden Elsa (editor)
ISBN: 0-702022-30-6; 1999; 274 pages; WB Saunders Co. Ltd., London;
Kate Andre
Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia, Adelaide SA
I was first drawn to this text as a consequence of its name, The Person as Patient, in the mute hope that the reverse would also be addressed, namely The Patient as Person. But alas apart from a few passing comments about the objectification of patients in health care settings, this was not the case. Rather this text is very much an introductory psychology text for undergraduate health professionals, something that the full title makes very clear.
Apart from my initial disappointment (my mistake not the authors), I found this to be an enjoyable if not 'light read'. Ramsden and the other associated authors provide a sound introductory overview of psychosocial theory, very much targeted at the undergraduate market. As a consequence this is an easy to read text, though due to the lack of depth and complexity it would probably have limited application to the postgraduate clinician or student.
I was most impressed with the chapter titles and formats. The attention to content applied to health professionals has not been well addressed in most introductory psychology texts. This book however integrates issues of life-span, health-illness and patient-professional relationships well. As a consequence this text would provide a useful resource for course and curricula development.
I was also impressed with the application of theory to practice that this text attempted. The inclusion of case studies provided a useful demonstrated the applicability of the content, important to all students but particularly undergraduates who are often coming to terms with the relationship of theoretical concepts. The degree of critique applied to these case studies however varied between chapters with some failing to engage the reader beyond enhancing the entertainment value. Similarly I felt that the attempt to provide a general overview of content meant that at times precise and detailed information was omitted. For example in the sections addressing aging, though broad aspects were addressed, I suspect that based on this reading few students would be able to define the terms Alzheimer's or dementia.
In summary, this text provides a very useful framework for the introduction to psychosocial theory in undergraduate courses. The text is entertaining and as such should engage the target audience. However, the application of theory to practice and depth on information is limited at times. As a consequence, The Person as Patient - psychosocial perspectives for the health care professional, is not likely to provide a long-term resource nor suitable text for the post-graduate market.
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