You're the picture of health

Photo: Google Images

A picture is worth a thousand words – and in this case may even save a life.

Especially if you live far from medical care.

Prof. Kathy Rush of UBC Okanagan’s School of Nursing recently completed a study with older patients who live with atrial fibrillation – a chronic condition that causes irregular heartbeat, fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath.  

Rush gave cameras to 10 rural patients in varying stages of health. Participants were asked to take daily photos and mail in a memory card every two weeks for six months.

“These photo journeys give patients a voice and makes visible what can be invisible when someone is suffering,” says Rush. “You don’t always get the full story or picture of what is really going on in their lives. These photos gave us considerable information about the environmental context of living with an illness in rural communities, where there is limited access to services.

While many of the photos portrayed people waiting for, or travelling to appointments, Rush says other images told a much more stark story.

“The photos gave us access to their days, to things that wouldn’t be reported in a doctor’s office, or on a medical chart, but were an important part of their day-to-day care,” says Rush. “The images brought to life their social supports and the gaps in service.”

On days when patients felt healthy, often the images were of places in their community or the participants outside doing something they enjoyed. On symptomatic days, images were of pills, reminders of medical appointments or people resting at home.

“There is certainly a rural context, like being transferred by ambulance or traveling for hours to get to a health clinic,” says Rush. “We knew we couldn’t capture their health care journeys with words alone and this project really opened windows into their lives.”