Philosophical health: Unveiling the patient's personal philosophy with a person-centred method of dialogue.

ABSTRACT

Grounded in ideas about sense-making and whole-person care with a long intellectual heritage, the movement for Philosophical Health-with its specific conceptions of philosophical care and counselling-is a relatively recent addition to the ongoing debate about understanding better the perspectives of patients to improve health practice. This article locates the development of this movement within the context of broader discussions of person-centred care (PCC), arguing that the approach advocated by defenders of philosophical health can provide a straightforward method for implementing PCC in actual cases. This claim is explained and defended with reference to the SMILE_PH method created by Luis de Miranda (Sense-Making Interviews Looking at Elements of Philosophical Health), an approach recently trialled convincingly with people living with traumatic spinal cord injury.