| Intended for quality of life researchers, philosophers, educators and health care practitioners, this dissertation examines the contributions of philosophy to the analysis of quality of life of patients, particularly those with cancer. The approach for this research endeavor embodies two distinct research methodologies, namely, philosophic inquiry and qualititative research. Initial chapters examine traditional medical and psycho-social evaluations, noting the inadequacies of each. Neither, it is asserted, portray the patients' own perceptions of the disease nor the extent to which their life has been affected by it. Furthermore, both tend to view the patient as an entity that can be reduced to a score or category. Chapters which describe how philosophy can deepen our understanding of the patients' perspectives include the following: a review of concept analysis; a presentation on pertinent aspects of the Platonic cannon; consideration of feminist theory as it relates to the oppressive aspects of illness and lastly a proclamation of virtue epistemology's applicability to the quality of life enterprise. A chapter on the input of existentialism to health care centers on the contributions of Martin Buber and Emmanuel Levinas. Qualitative assessment is achieved via a narrative approach as a way to gain a more in-depth appreciation of the experiences of women with ovarian cancer. Examples from three patient's narratives are offered to demonstrate their value as representations of quality of life research applicable to health care practice. |
