Experiential knowledge: From philosophical debate to health care practice?

Abstract

Despite experience‐based expertise being increasingly common in health care, what experiential knowledge consists of remains a topic for debate. Here I propose a philosophical approach to clarify experiential knowledge, drawing on an analogous debate in philosophy of mind, which similarly targets the intuition that experience may generate unique knowledge. I outline the philosophical debate and explicate some relevant ideas for health care, so as to (a) evaluate whether and to what extent this analogous debate is helpful, and (b) supplement existing ideas on experiential knowledge with a philosophical analysis.

Editorial for the 2023 philosophy thematic edition: Treating the whole person: Philosophical health

“…Dings uses a philosophical approach to clarify experiential knowledge, throwing light on the concepts of lived experience and experiencebased expertise that have become central to the literature on personcentred care. 31 Cox's systematic analysis of patient understanding in medical decision-making provides criteria to help practitioners in both assessing and assisting a patient's capacity to make autonomous decisions regarding their care. 32 Her article is followed by three articles that address the concerns raised in the previous health philosophy thematic edition of this journal.…”