Fábio Rafael Augusto, Ana Patrícia Hilário, Joana Mendonça
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Caring practices during vaccination encounters are deeply interwoven with materiality, encompassing everyday objects and elements that play a crucial role for all actors involved. However, the significance of these materialities in shaping caring relationships within vaccination practices has been largely overlooked. This research seeks to fill that gap by exploring how mundane elements, such as the objects present during vaccination, contribute to the relational dynamics of the experience. Through a qualitative approach involving participant observation of vaccination encounters and interviews with 30 healthcare professionals, four key themes emerged: (i) objects as comfort devices, (ii) caring as gifts, (iii) reinvented medical instruments, and (iv) creating a friendly environment. These findings suggest that material elements are not merely passive tools but active "co-participants" in the vaccination process, influencing the interactions and emotional exchanges that occur. By acknowledging the role of materiality, this research enhances our understanding of vaccination as a relational experience, highlighting the importance of considering these often-overlooked factors in both practice and policy. The study offers valuable insights into how healthcare professionals can utilize materialities to foster more empathetic and supportive vaccination environments.
期刊介绍:
Health: is published four times per year and attempts in each number to offer a mix of articles that inform or that provoke debate. The readership of the journal is wide and drawn from different disciplines and from workers both inside and outside the health care professions. Widely abstracted, Health: ensures authors an extensive and informed readership for their work. It also seeks to offer authors as short a delay as possible between submission and publication. Most articles are reviewed within 4-6 weeks of submission and those accepted are published within a year of that decision.