- Knowledge Translation, Philosophy of Science, Cultural History, History of Medicine, Social History, Text Analysis, and 13 moreHealth Communication, Governmentality, Evidence Based Medicine, Social Epistemology, Global Health Policy, Medical Humanities, Narrative Analysis, Narrative, Narrative Paradigm, Walter Fisher, Continental Philosophy, Discourse Analysis, and Corpus Linguistics and Discourse Analysisedit
- My field of research is the social epistemology of medical knowledge, i.e. how such knowledge is generated, used, doc... moreMy field of research is the social epistemology of medical knowledge, i.e. how such knowledge is generated, used, documented, evaluated and exchanged throughout society. I have approached these issues theoretically, empirically and historically and often through close reading of texts and documents. Recently, I have taken a particular interest in the philosophy of evidence based medicine. In addition, I am working on questions concerning power and governance in global health.Follow me on Twitter: @eivindenPersonal website: https://www.eivindengebretsen.com/edit
A concise poster overview of our Open Access book, which presents a narrative framework for comprehending and tackling mistrust during health emergencies. Book available for free download here:... more
A concise poster overview of our Open Access book, which presents a narrative framework for comprehending and tackling mistrust during health emergencies.
Book available for free download here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics/F340CCFA243064856F078EF7AC012E11#fndtn-contents
Book available for free download here: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/rethinking-evidence-in-the-time-of-pandemics/F340CCFA243064856F078EF7AC012E11#fndtn-contents
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This PDF file is an Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version, which has not been typeset or copyedited, but has been peer reviewed. IJHPM publishes the AAM version of all accepted manuscripts upon acceptance to reach fast visibility.... more
This PDF file is an Author Accepted Manuscript (AAM) version, which has not been typeset or copyedited, but has been peer reviewed. IJHPM publishes the AAM version of all accepted manuscripts upon acceptance to reach fast visibility. During the proofing process, errors may be discovered (by the author/s or editorial office) that could affect the content, and we will correct those in the final proof.
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I denne artikkelen forsøkes det ved hjelp av en narrativ analyse å svare på spørsmålet; hva er en god nederlagstale? Hva var det for eksempel som gjorde talen den amerikanske presidenkantidaten McCain holdt da han tapte valget i 2008, til... more
I denne artikkelen forsøkes det ved hjelp av en narrativ analyse å svare på spørsmålet; hva er en god nederlagstale? Hva var det for eksempel som gjorde talen den amerikanske presidenkantidaten McCain holdt da han tapte valget i 2008, til en suksess? Talen er møtt med lovord verden over, fra tilhengere til motstandere. Artikkelen argumenterer for at det vel så mye er formen som innholdet som gjør talen god. Artikkelen viser at det er ved hjelp av narrative komponenter og plott McCain taler sitt nederlag til seier? Det vises hvordan konstituering av ulike fortellerstemmer virker dels samlende dels ansvarliggjørende. Og hvordan handlinger og hendelser, blir hjelpere og mostandere i McCains nederlagsseier. Gode nederlag er av stor sosial betydning, dette nederlaget er for eksempel en oppvisning av et av demokratiets viktigste prinsipper, ââ¬Âat man skal tape med stilââ¬Â
The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the highly specialized issue of what constitutes reliable medical evidence into a topic of public concern and debate. This book interrogates the assumption that evidence means the same thing to... more
The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the highly specialized issue of what constitutes reliable medical evidence into a topic of public concern and debate. This book interrogates the assumption that evidence means the same thing to different constituencies and in different contexts. Rather than treating various practices of knowledge as rational or irrational in purely scientific terms, it explains the controversies surrounding COVID-19 by drawing on a theoretical framework that recognizes different types of rationality, and hence plural conceptualizations of evidence. Debates within and beyond the medical establishment on the efficacy of measures such as mandatory face masks are examined in detail, as are various degrees of hesitancy towards vaccines. The authors demonstrate that it is ultimately through narratives that knowledge about medical and other phenomena is communicated to others, enters the public space, and provokes discussion and disagreements. This title is also availabl...
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This article tests the hypothesis that all pandemics are inherently translational. We argue that translation and translation theory can be fruitfully used to understand and manage epidemics, as they help us explore concepts of infectivity... more
This article tests the hypothesis that all pandemics are inherently translational. We argue that translation and translation theory can be fruitfully used to understand and manage epidemics, as they help us explore concepts of infectivity and immunity in terms of cultural and biological resistance. After examining the linkage between translation and coronavirus disease from three different yet interlinked perspectives—cultural, medical, and biocultural—we make a case for a translational medical humanities framework for tackling the multifactorial crisis brought about by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. This innovative entanglement of perspectives has the merit of carving out a new space for translation research at the intersection of the sciences and the humanities, providing sustainable ways to conceptualize the production of science at times of crisis, and challenging conventional views of translation as a primarily linguistic and cultural phenomenon that traditionally does not engage wi...
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Report of the Expert Group on "the Interim Evaluation of Gender Equality as a crosscutting issue in Horizon 2020".Chairperson: Suzanne de Cheveigné. Rapporteur: Bente Knoll. Members of the expert group: Maria Bustelo, Eivind... more
Report of the Expert Group on "the Interim Evaluation of Gender Equality as a crosscutting issue in Horizon 2020".Chairperson: Suzanne de Cheveigné. Rapporteur: Bente Knoll. Members of the expert group: Maria Bustelo, Eivind Engebretsen and Ulf SandströmThis report is a long version of the one that was submitted by the “Commission Expert Group1 on the interim evaluation of Gender equality as a crosscutting issue in Horizon 2020” to contribute to the overall interim evaluation of Horizon 2020 as set in Article 32 of the Horizon 2020 Framework Regulation. This report aims to identify possible improvements in the implementation of gender equality (GE) as a crosscutting issue in Horizon 2020. It assists the European Commission (EC) in assessing gender equality, and – in particular – the gender dimension in research and innovation (R&I) content, as a crosscutting issue at the various stages of the implementation of Horizon 2020 from the Work Programme (WP) definition to the fun...
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The Russian philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin has analysed different types of discourses focusing on how they treat the voices of the Other. The main contribution Bakhtin made was to the theory of the novel. Bakhtin... more
The Russian philosopher and literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin has analysed different types of discourses focusing on how they treat the voices of the Other. The main contribution Bakhtin made was to the theory of the novel. Bakhtin distinguished between monological and dialogical novels. Monological novels are dominated by one single voice, while dialogical novels enable the characters to express themselves autonomously. âââEven though Bakhtin mainly concentrated on novel studies, he also stressed the importance of respecting the voices of the Other within legal discourse. The purpose of legal texts is to defend the rights of the Others, and that makes it even more important to take their       voiÂces and opinions into account. The problem is however that no one has analysed in depth the possibility of adapting dialogism to such texts. âââThe aim of this article is to discuss whether Bakhtinâs distinction between monological and dialogical discourses, as well...
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This study explores how parents involved in care order processes in Norway perceive being positioned by Child Welfare Services (CWS) in this process, how they negotiate these positions and whether their loss is perceived as legitimate or... more
This study explores how parents involved in care order processes in Norway perceive being positioned by Child Welfare Services (CWS) in this process, how they negotiate these positions and whether their loss is perceived as legitimate or illegitimate in the face of societal expectations of parenthood. The data consist of qualitative interviews with 13 parents who have experienced child removals initiated by CWS. Drawing on positioning theory, the article provides an analysis of parental experiences of being positioned by CWS and investigates how cultural notions may affect their perceptions. The analysis showed that parents experienced being at war against a highly powerful CWS, which they felt dehumanised them and positioned them as failing. Moreover, parents challenged such positions by introducing alternative explanations that presented themselves as victims. However, the analysis also showed that parents would adopt positions of becoming their own judge and internalising the sti...
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IntroductionMost research on loneliness comes from the health sciences, statistically seeking to measure the health-related effects of feeling alone or isolated. There is a need to expand on this understanding and explore loneliness as a... more
IntroductionMost research on loneliness comes from the health sciences, statistically seeking to measure the health-related effects of feeling alone or isolated. There is a need to expand on this understanding and explore loneliness as a more complex social phenomenon. In this article, we present a qualitative design for studying the intersection between loneliness, technology and culture. Conceptualising this as the cultural dialectic between loneliness and technology, we aim to unpack the reciprocal ways by which understandings of loneliness shape technology, while technologies also affect society’s understandings of loneliness. In elucidating this dialectic, we aim to develop new knowledge and a novel theoretical framework for understanding loneliness and its technological solutions, which, in turn, can enable better solutions to contemporary problems of loneliness.Methods and analysisWe will adopt a qualitative approach that combines interviews, participant observation and textu...
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Background Following an implementation plan based on dynamic dialogue between researchers and clinicians, this study implemented an evidence-based patient education program (tested in an RCT) into routine care at a clinical transplant... more
Background Following an implementation plan based on dynamic dialogue between researchers and clinicians, this study implemented an evidence-based patient education program (tested in an RCT) into routine care at a clinical transplant center. The aim of this study was to investigate renal recipients’ knowledge and self-efficacy during first year the after the intervention was provided in an everyday life setting. Methods The study has a longitudinal design. The sample consisted of 196 renal recipients. Measurement points were 5 days (baseline), 2 months (T1), 6 months (T2), and one-year post transplantation (T3). Outcome measures were post-transplant knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-perceived general health. Results No statistically significant changes were found from baseline to T1, T2, and T3. Participants’ levels of knowledge and self-efficacy were high prior to the education program and did not change throughout the first year post transplantation. Conclusion Renal recipients ...
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The patient’s perspective on improvement in psychotherapy is crucial for tailoring the therapy he or she is receiving. The present study aimed at exploring the factors aiding and the patients’ experiences of improvement in time-limited... more
The patient’s perspective on improvement in psychotherapy is crucial for tailoring the therapy he or she is receiving. The present study aimed at exploring the factors aiding and the patients’ experiences of improvement in time-limited psychodynamic psychotherapy for depression. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten adult patients who received up to 28 sessions of manualized psychodynamic psychotherapy in the Norwegian study “Mechanisms of change in psychotherapy” (the MOP study). The post-therapy interviews addressed the participants’ experiences from therapy. The data were analyzed with thematic content analysis and hermeneutic interpretation. The analysis identified four helpful dimensions: “Therapist activities” comprised supporting and acknowledging, advising and offering tips for everyday life, questioning and pressuring. “Patient activities” included opening up, caring for oneself and showing agency. “Facilitators” for improvement were learning from the...
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The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the highly specialized issue of what constitutes reliable medical evidence into a topic of public concern and debate. This book interrogates the assumption that evidence means the same thing to... more
The COVID-19 crisis has transformed the highly specialized issue of what constitutes reliable medical evidence into a topic of public concern and debate. This book interrogates the assumption that evidence means the same thing to different constituencies and in different contexts. Rather than treating various practices of knowledge as rational or irrational in purely scientific terms, it explains the controversies surrounding COVID-19 by drawing on a theoretical framework that recognizes different types of rationality, and hence plural conceptualizations of evidence. Debates within and beyond the medical establishment on the efficacy of measures such as mandatory face masks are examined in detail, as are various degrees of hesitancy towards vaccines. The authors demonstrate that it is ultimately through narratives that knowledge about medical and other phenomena is communicated to others, enters the public space, and provokes discussion and disagreements. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
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With the help of narrative analysis, this article aims to answer the question: what is a good political consolation speech? In exploring this, the article focuses on the speech made by the defeated presidential candidate John McCain in... more
With the help of narrative analysis, this article aims to answer the question: what is a good political consolation speech? In exploring this, the article focuses on the speech made by the defeated presidential candidate John McCain in November, 2008. In many quarters, this speech has been judged a success and it has been praised by both his political supporters and opponents. The article argues that the form of this speech has contributed to its positive reception just as much as its content. It is further argued that with the use of certain narrative components and plot, McCain managed to turn his defeat into what many regard as a victory. Central to this transformation was the use of different narrative voices calling for both unity as well as responsibility among his audience. In addition, the analysis shows how events and actions became both helpers and opponents in McCain's victory in defeat. A good defeat is of considerable social significance and his consolation speech i...
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Objective Persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require complex follow-up by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may experience several health literacy (HL) needs. This study aimed to explore such needs in people with... more
Objective Persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) require complex follow-up by healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may experience several health literacy (HL) needs. This study aimed to explore such needs in people with COPD and the HCPs who care for them. Methods From October 2016 to August 2017 a qualitative study with four focus groups (FG) were performed in people with COPD (n = 14) and three in multidisciplinary HCPs (n = 21). An inductive thematic analysis was used to investigate HL needs. Results Four HL needs emerged: 1) strengthening the feeling of security; 2) combating the burden of insufficient knowledge on COPD and lack of informational flow; 3) supporting motivation for endurance and self-management; and 4) strengthening dignity. Discussion This study highlights a gap between people with COPD who express important HL needs and HCPs’ capabilities to care for these needs. For HCPs to increase HL in such cases, HCPs need to improve their own HL. It is es...
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Background: The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are parts of an ambitious framework for global development, the 2030 Agenda. Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are described as "cornerstones" in the... more
Background: The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are parts of an ambitious framework for global development, the 2030 Agenda. Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are described as "cornerstones" in the followup system, which is premised on international sharing of knowledge and experience. Norway and Sweden are among the world’s most sustainable countries, aiming to be leaders in the implementation of the SDGs. The objective of this article is to investigate and compare how health is framed in the VNRs of these two high-income countries, and to discuss the implications of these framings for potential actions. Methods: Discourse analysis inspired by the concept of ‘framing,’ which refers to the discursive presentation of an issue where certain problem definitions and solutions are privileged over others. Frames are structures that organise and direct attention to particular aspects of reality, and define what is seen. Results: Our analysis demonstrates ...
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Evidence-based medicine has been the subject of much controversy within and outside the field of medicine, with its detractors characterizing it as reductionist and authoritarian, and its proponents rejecting such characterization as a... more
Evidence-based medicine has been the subject of much controversy within and outside the field of medicine, with its detractors characterizing it as reductionist and authoritarian, and its proponents rejecting such characterization as a caricature of the actual practice. At the heart of this controversy is a complex linguistic and social process that cannot be illuminated by appealing to the semantics of the modifier evidence-based. The complexity lies in the nature of evidence as a basic concept that circulates in both expert and non-expert spheres of communication, supports different interpretations in different contexts, and is inherently open to contestation. We outline a new methodology that combines a social epistemological perspective with advanced methods of corpus linguistics and elements of conceptual history to investigate this and other basic concepts that underpin the practice and ethos of modern medicine. The potential of this methodology to offer new insights into cont...
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In this introductory essay, we will present a translational medical humanities approach where the humanities are not only an auxiliary to medical science and practice, but also an interdisciplinary space where both medicine and the... more
In this introductory essay, we will present a translational medical humanities approach where the humanities are not only an auxiliary to medical science and practice, but also an interdisciplinary space where both medicine and the humanities mutually challenge and inform each other. First, we explore how medicine’s attempt to tackle the nature–culture divide is emblematically expressed in the concept and practice of knowledge translation (hereinafter KT). Second, we compare and contrast KT as an epistemic ideology and a socio-medical practice, with concepts and practices of translation developed in the human sciences. In particular, we emphasise Derrida’s understanding of translation as inherent in all meaning making, as a fundamentally textual process and as a process necessarily creating difference rather than semantic equivalence. Finally, we analyse a case from clinical medicine showing how a more refined notion of translation can enlighten the interaction between biomedical an...
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OBJECTIVE To strengthen patients' health literacy and their role as active knowledge actors, we developed a health communication intervention including a film-viewing and counselling session for patients awaiting kidney... more
OBJECTIVE To strengthen patients' health literacy and their role as active knowledge actors, we developed a health communication intervention including a film-viewing and counselling session for patients awaiting kidney transplantation. We aimed to explore processes of knowing in the translation of the intervention. METHODS We applied an ethnographic research approach, observing nine intervention sessions with patients and dialysis nurses. Afterwards, the patients and the nurses were interviewed in-depth. Data were analysed using Engebretsen's modified version of Lonergans' four-step model of knowing. RESULTS The following knowing processes were identified: i) Knowing as meaning-making; ii) Knowing as acquiring confidence; and iii) Accessing professionals' and peer experts' knowledge. Divergent considerations were taken by the different knowledge actors, which had a direct influence on the knowing processes and knowledge translation. CONCLUSIONS The findings support active interactions between patients and healthcare providers in processes of knowing. These include self-conscious approaches and critical questioning in both parties. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS For transplant professionals, this study demonstrates knowing processes in a real-life context. It also spotlights professional skills and attitudes regarding the importance of self-conscious questioning and a critical interrogating position (for both patients and providers).
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Background: The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are parts of an ambitious framework for global development, the 2030 Agenda. Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are described as "cornerstones" in the... more
Background: The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are parts of an ambitious framework for global development, the 2030 Agenda. Voluntary national reviews (VNRs) are described as "cornerstones" in the follow-up system, which is premised on international sharing of knowledge and experience. Norway and Sweden are among the world's most sustainable countries, aiming to be leaders in the implementation of the SDGs. The objective of this article is to investigate and compare how health is framed in the VNRs of these two high-income countries, and to discuss the implications of these framings for potential actions. Methods: Discourse analysis inspired by the concept of 'framing, ' which refers to the discursive presentation of an issue where certain problem definitions and solutions are privileged over others. Frames are structures that organise and direct attention to particular aspects of reality, and define what is seen. Results: Our analysis...
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Background: A kidney transplantation requires complex self-care skills and adequate follow-up from health-care providers. Identifying strengths and limitations in different aspects of health literacy (HL) and associated variables are... more
Background: A kidney transplantation requires complex self-care skills and adequate follow-up from health-care providers. Identifying strengths and limitations in different aspects of health literacy (HL) and associated variables are central to being able to improve health care. The objective of this study was to identify core variables associated with independent domains of HL 8 weeks following a kidney transplantation. Methods: A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted, wherein 159 kidney transplant recipients answered the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Multivariable linear regression with backward elimination was used to investigate variables possibly associated with the 9 domains of HL. Results: The transplant recipients had the lowest scores in “appraisal of health information” and “navigating the healthcare system.” The highest scores were found in “feeling understood and supported by health-care providers” and “ability to actively engage with health-care provi...
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This paper reviews the literature on health and female homosexuality in Brazil and, along the way, outlines an alternative approach to reviewing academic literature. Rather than summarising the contents of previously published papers, we... more
This paper reviews the literature on health and female homosexuality in Brazil and, along the way, outlines an alternative approach to reviewing academic literature. Rather than summarising the contents of previously published papers, we relate to these publications primarily as partakers in the creation of knowledge. Inspired by Actor-Network Theory (ANT), we apply ethnographic methods to understand the papers as study participants endowed with action. We also draw on the notions of inscription and intertextuality to trace the complex relationship between the findings in the articles and the realities outside of them. We claim that ‘evidence’ is the product of translational processes in which original events, such as experiments, blood tests and interviews, are changed into textual entities. In addition, text production is seen as an absorption of everything else surrounding its creation. When events are turned into articles, the text incorporates the political environment to which...
