Chronically III and “Feeling Fine”: A Study of Communication and Chronic Illness

The goal of this study was to obtain the perspective of persons living with chronic illness on their communication with those who are well. The review of literature revealed that little research had been conducted from the perspective of the chronically ill person. Data consisted of 140 pages of transcripts from in-depth interviews conducted with sixteen persons who defined themselves as chronically ill. The researcher performed an interpretive analysis on the transcripts. Analysis of the data revealed that persons living with chronic illness perceive communication problems between themselves and those who are well. The researcher argues that these communication problems can be defined as instances of “miscommunication” brought about by shifts in meanings the chronically ill bring to the words they use. Suggestions based on the ideas of the interviewees for improving communication between the chronically ill and the well are offered.