ABSTRACT
The term trajectory has been utilised for a number of years by researchers interested in the complexities of long-term conditions, and was used by Glaser and Strauss (1968) in a seminal study which explored the experiences of dying patients in hospital. Listening to the patients’ own stories enabled Glaser and Strauss to gain new insights into the trajectory or ‘path travelled’ by each individual, and in doing so were able to identify similar stages experienced. The Chronic Illness Trajectory Framework was developed later to assist in anticipating possible phases likely to be experienced by patients so that more holistic care might be delivered (Corbin and Strauss 1992) (see Table 2.1). The trajectory begins more often than not with physiological change/impairment; there then follow various phases representing the cumulative effects of disabling illness, including physical symptoms and the impact of the illness on the individual’s social world, possibly challenging perceptions of self-identity (Burton 2000).
