A study of the empowerment process for cancer patients using Freire's dialogical interviewing

The aim of this study was to illustrate the empowering process for cancer patients through Freire ' s dialogical interviewing. Fifteen interviewees participated in interviews over a period of three months. Five themes of dialogical interviewing for the empowering process were adopted including building rapport, assessing disempowerment issues, facilitating critical thinking, joint creation, resource connecting and positive feedback. Open-ended questions and participatory observation with reflective notes written by participants were used for data collecting. Constant comparison and content analysis were used for data analysis. The empowered outcomes at a personal level included redefining health, being confident, active involvement, revitalizing the sense of self, and the desire to live for themselves, negotiating the goals of one ' s care plan and having the strength to help others. On the basis of the empowered outcomes achieved through dialogical interviewing in this study, health professionals should apply this process to build partnerships with patients and help them to overcome the suffering caused by cancer.