Vulnerability in health care - reflections on encounters in every day practice

Vulnerability is a human condition and as such a constant human experience. However, patients and professional health care providers may be regarded as more vulnerable than people who do not suffer or witness suffering on a regular basis. Acquiring a deeper understanding of vulnerability would thus be of crucial importance for health care providers. This article takes as its point of departure Derek Sellman's and Havi Carel's discussion on vulnerability in this journal. Through different examples from the authors' research focusing on the interaction between health professionals and patients, existential, contextual, and relational dimensions of vulnerability are illuminated and discussed. …