Gut Feelings: The Patient's Story

Book excerpt: Gut Feelings: The Patient’s Story takes our knowledge about highly prevalent conditions such as IBS and other Disorders of Gut Brain Interaction further by learning from the patient's illness journey. This book offers a deeper dive into the experience of the illness through the patient’s perspective, giving their stories of illness and their experiences with the health care system. Additionally, we learn the key messages that helped them recover or learn to adapt to their illness. Through the use of patient narratives, we find quick connection for patients to identify with common experiences and take these lessons forward to their own medical care. These narratives are also a helpful tool for providers to learn the real world of patient illness experience and their role in improving clinical outcomes.