Section I Commentary: Modern Qualitative Approach¹ to Psychology: Art or Science?

A terminal state illness implies that the patient is dying—but death is an uncertainty that we all have to deal with. Using interpretative description from an Idiographic Science perspective, this investigation attempted to comprehend one Italian anesthesiologist’s sensemaking of life and death, by means of describing and interpreting: (a) her I-positions concerning medical practice in palliative care; (b) her sensemaking towards death-related experiences and expectations; and (c) the dialogic interaction of both health professionals, one interviewee (anesthesiologist) and the interviewer (researcher), when talking about death. We find that different I-positions of the anesthe-siologist in relating with patients are related to life-threatening experiences in the biography of the physician and their similarity to the patient’s condition. But also different I-positions of the researcher cope with the tension of talking about taboo topics linked to death, such as unhealthy conducts and life-threatening illnesses. Furthermore, findings give an account of contextual factors, such as the palliative teamwork or the compilation of electronic medical records that interfere with the rapport established during the palliative care practice.