Using reflection in the care of a patient with lymphoedema

This article describes an incident that occurred during a lymphoedema clinic consultation between the author (a lymphoedema therapist) and a patient with lymphoedema of the leg. It focuses on the author's reflection of the incident, using Johns' model of structured reflection (Johns, 1995) to provide a framework. The incident highlights the importance of understanding the patient's perceptions of his/her swelling and its treatment and matching this to aspects of expert practice in order to plan and evaluate the treatment provided for the patient.