Authentic Voice

Authentic voice represents an adaptation of narrative
approaches for use in public health settings.
Authentic voice approaches utilize narratives from
the target population to accomplish public health
goals. Authentic refers to the first-hand experience
of the narrators while voice refers to the expression
of the narrative in terms understandable by the
target population while maintaining the individuality
of the narrator. In the first paper, a discussion of
the potential of using narratives from the target
population as 1) a direct intervention; 2) a form of
persuasive communications; and 3) a source of
information for research into various topics. The
second paper examines the patient experience of
acupuncture using narrative drawn from interviews
with and letters from acupuncture patients using a
content oriented approach. The third paper examines
the importance of meaning shift over the course of
acupuncture treatment.

Autorentext
Dr. Mark Stibich is a behavior change expert with a PhD from the
Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. His interest is in the
impact of narrative on health through the patient-provider
interaction. Specifically, have alternative practitioners
developed a means to enhance the patient''s own understanding of
his or her illness in a beneficial way?