Work

'Be Gentle and Be Sincere About It': A Story About Community-Based Primary Care Research

Year: 2008

Type: article

Abstract: Practice-based researchers in primary care have increasingly recognized the need to include community members in research efforts. In this reflective vignette, the importance of community engagement is realized through the researcher's ability to elicit and interpret an alternative story told by a respected local resident in a focus group. The focus group was part of a study examining communication between patients and clinicians about traditional medicine in New Mexico. During this session, yerba mansa, a plant used in traditional medicine, became a powerful cultural metaphor for expressing concerns about the intentions of outside researchers. This story shows how creating opportunities for sustained engagement with the people we serve can lead to more sensitive ways to establish research partnerships.

Source: The Annals of Family Medicine

DOI: 10.1370/afm.891

Authors: A. L. Sussman, M. Rivera

Institutions: University of New Mexico, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center

Language: English

Topic: Community Health and Development

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: diamond

Funders: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health