- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Radcliffe Publishing Ltd; 1 edition (20 May 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 184619010X
- ISBN-13: 978-1846190100
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.6 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 691,640 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Review
`A landmark for the patient voice.' --Macmillan Cancer Support Exchange magazine, summer 2008.
'If anyone is in any doubt of the need to take a more patient-centred approach to dealing with patients then they should read this.' -- Dr Eric Watts, The Bulletin of The Royal College of Pathologists, Number 144 - October 2008.
'Essential reading for all who deal with cancer patients...politicians, health service developers...carers and patients - will surely inspire change.' --Professor Karol Sikora, in his foreword.
'I could barely put it down. I even stopped reading Testament of Youth (Vera Brittain)to fit in!'
--Dr John Nottingham, personal communication, April 2009.
'...it was a bit of a departure to find myself sitting up in bed one night almost unable to put down 'Nothing Personal'...I left 'Testament of Youth' languishing on the floor to read this book; a fitting tribute to a powerful piece written by another feisty lady who takes on the medics in the same way that Vera Brittain took on the Establishment...In short, this is a cracking read. This book has just won first prize from the Medical Journalists' Association, deservedly so. I too wholeheartedly recommend you read it, whether or not you see patients. ..It ought to be required reading for all doctors, medical students, hospital executives, and everyone who believes in patient partnership... it is an uplifting celebration of life...a tale of someone finding the time and energy to fight everyone else's corner as well. Good on you, Mitzi.' --Dr John Nottingham, ACP News, summer 2009
'This is a beautifully written book, styled in a natural mix of prose, poetry and discussion points, which provides a rare insight into the thoughts of someone who can express their innermost perceptions and feelings...The most important lesson for me is that we need to continually develop and improve our understanding and skills of how to communicate better, more honestly and with real regard for our patients' intelligence and dignity. This remarkable book...should be on the essential reading list for those striving to improve the quality of care for cancer and to understand and improve the experience of their patients more generally.'
--Professor A Niroshan Siriwardena, Quality in Primary Care 2009;17.
'If anyone is in any doubt of the need to take a more patient-centred approach to dealing with patients then they should read this.' -- Dr Eric Watts, The Bulletin of The Royal College of Pathologists, Number 144 - October 2008.
'Essential reading for all who deal with cancer patients...politicians, health service developers...carers and patients - will surely inspire change.' --Professor Karol Sikora, in his foreword.
'I could barely put it down. I even stopped reading Testament of Youth (Vera Brittain)to fit in!'
--Dr John Nottingham, personal communication, April 2009.
'...it was a bit of a departure to find myself sitting up in bed one night almost unable to put down 'Nothing Personal'...I left 'Testament of Youth' languishing on the floor to read this book; a fitting tribute to a powerful piece written by another feisty lady who takes on the medics in the same way that Vera Brittain took on the Establishment...In short, this is a cracking read. This book has just won first prize from the Medical Journalists' Association, deservedly so. I too wholeheartedly recommend you read it, whether or not you see patients. ..It ought to be required reading for all doctors, medical students, hospital executives, and everyone who believes in patient partnership... it is an uplifting celebration of life...a tale of someone finding the time and energy to fight everyone else's corner as well. Good on you, Mitzi.' --Dr John Nottingham, ACP News, summer 2009
'This is a beautifully written book, styled in a natural mix of prose, poetry and discussion points, which provides a rare insight into the thoughts of someone who can express their innermost perceptions and feelings...The most important lesson for me is that we need to continually develop and improve our understanding and skills of how to communicate better, more honestly and with real regard for our patients' intelligence and dignity. This remarkable book...should be on the essential reading list for those striving to improve the quality of care for cancer and to understand and improve the experience of their patients more generally.'
--Professor A Niroshan Siriwardena, Quality in Primary Care 2009;17.
Product Description
'Unputdownable' Winner, Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Awards, 2009, Self-help General Readership category.
''Both judges confessed that they were not usually enthusiastic about personal accounts of illness, as most were effectively a single case history. However, Blennerhassett' s book was the exception. It identified so many deficiencies in cancer care and in particular the difficulties medical and other staff had in communicating with patients and understanding their needs. This is a book, not just for the general reader, but for every doctor, medical student and nurse to read, whatever their role in the care of all patients. It is a tribute to her that the book is not a bit miserable or depressing, but funny poignant, thought-provoking and, above all, a wonderful read.' MJA Newsletter, April/May 2009.
''Both judges confessed that they were not usually enthusiastic about personal accounts of illness, as most were effectively a single case history. However, Blennerhassett' s book was the exception. It identified so many deficiencies in cancer care and in particular the difficulties medical and other staff had in communicating with patients and understanding their needs. This is a book, not just for the general reader, but for every doctor, medical student and nurse to read, whatever their role in the care of all patients. It is a tribute to her that the book is not a bit miserable or depressing, but funny poignant, thought-provoking and, above all, a wonderful read.' MJA Newsletter, April/May 2009.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
time for physicians to examine themselves,
By Folly Sparks (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nothing Personal: Disturbing Undercurrents in Cancer Care (Patient Narratives) (Paperback)
This account of being treated for cancer and the aftermath of failures of communication during that sensitive time is deeply affecting. I don't doubt it will resonate with many in that situation, but I hope also with sympathetic professionals willing to acknowledge the need for patients and health professionals together to put an end to needless suffering of this kind. "'Them' and 'Us' need to become 'We'".Mitzi's own language models for practitioners how to talk to people and shows that they don't need to be clever to say what has to be said, just sincere; and that the problems of communication aren't due to the technical difficulty of the information but because those who know it don't want - for reasons which need to be exposed - to engage with the people whose information it is. Amusing and endearing drawings by are scattered throughout, illustrating her feelings of helplessness and isolation, of being processed and dehumanized. Many chapters include her poignant 3 a.m. poems. The experience changed her life and she became a patient advocate. This brought her into contact with health professionals willing to acknowledge her truth thereby helping to heal the damage done by others. There is no complaining, no sentimentality, no anger and no bitterness. She talks of her 'virtual treasure chest' - this is added to mine. "Nothing Personal" should be required reading for students and compulsory in-service training for those who still don't really want to know that patients are people just like them and the most important member of the multi-disciplinary team: "poor communication with patients continues to be the most common cause of complaints against doctors". People treated for any serious illness are always hugely grateful. They are dependent on professionals for their expertise at the most vulnerable time in their life. It is an unequal relationship, and its dynamics inform the patient's experience of illness and treatment. Patients are reluctant to criticize, fearful of compromising that dependency, preferring to believe what is not always true, that their team always has their wellbeing uppermost. Professionals working with seriously ill people have not all examined their own feelings and limitations; the patient is not always top of their agenda which may even conflict with patient needs, and at the same time they want job satisfaction and need to believe they are doing good; one way of measuring that is patient gratitude. Patients sense that need and, afraid to seem ungrateful, to compromise future medical need, they express gratitude but keep quiet about the harm. Thus patients and professionals too often collude in poor communication, and things don't change. Professionals don't always get it wrong and some readers may consider this a rare unfortunate case. I only wish that were true. If professionals who think that take this book seriously, they will see that it must be far better for them, not just patients, to learn to be open and honest about the bad things, than to waste opportunities to face reality and provide comfort, rather than do denial and cause isolation. Then we can hope things will be better for future patients - and unless we are lucky, that means for us.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Long overdue,
By
This review is from: Nothing Personal: Disturbing Undercurrents in Cancer Care (Patient Narratives) (Paperback)
This novel & thought provoking book has been well received by my contemporaries. It brought to the surface concerns of many kinds which had been simmering below for many years for those people, patients, staff, researchers etc, who were becoming increasingly anxious about the whole culture surrounding cancer diagnosis & treatment. With an average incidence of breast cancer why were the results for diagnosis, treatment, outcomes etc so unbelievably poor. Why had the culture in the NHS not moved forward with the times? The book itself prompted many in the cancer world to re-examine & analyse these factors & today we are eventually beginning to see some improvements.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Insightful and amusing,
This review is from: Nothing Personal: Disturbing Undercurrents in Cancer Care (Patient Narratives) (Paperback)
As someone who was trained as a journalist and has suffered for many years with a different condition, I found this an extremely insightful and surprisingly amusing account of a patient's journey through healthcare. Well worth a read.
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