Facilitation of a Person-Centered Approach in Health Assessment of patients with chronic pain: An Ethnographic Study.

A phenomenologically derived assessment tool, Hermes, was developed in a rehabilitation setting for adopting the central ideals of person-centered care and patient participation into health-assessment practices in nursing. This focused ethnographic study aimed at exploring the feasibility of using Hermes for enabling the application of these ideals into assessment of patients with chronic pain upon admission to a rehabilitation center. Participants were patients with chronic pain, enrolled in rehabilitation, and their nurses. Data were collected by participant observation and interviews, and analyzed by thematic analysis. By the use of Hermes, the impact of illness was explored through supportive connection and dialogue with open, reflective, and interpretative features; understanding of the illness situation was enhanced; and possibilities provided in adjusting to health issues of concern. In sum, Hermes facilitated person-centered participation of patients with chronic pain in their health assessment and made a phenomenological philosophy usable in nursing-assessment practices.