Redefinition of life experience following Total Hip Replacement: Analysis of narrative as performance

We drew on a case study research design and used the method of narrative as performance to illustrate how individuals reinterpret life experience following Total Hip Replacement (THR) including how they change their understanding of self and create different identities for themselves through interaction.Two narrative accounts were selected from the pool of interview accounts generated in the first part of the study. A linguistic approach (Gee, 1991) was used to represent the interview transcriptions. The data were analysed using narrative positioning and grammar of helplessness.Two different stories were created. One had a temporally ordered narrative with detailed description of significant past moments. In the other story, however, the participant narrates an overall experience and seeks to highlight the reasons underpinning his experience of hip and THR.Our analysis showed that understanding of the experience of THR relies mostly on the structure of the narrative in which context and interaction process play significant roles. The findings of the study may have important implications for improving patient–professional communications and evaluating health outcomes.