Chronic Illness Experiences, Clinical Markers and Living with Hepatitis C

This study explores the experiences of people with hepatitis C within two models of chronic illness--illness trajectory and shifting perspectives--and examines the effects of clinical markers of disease in relation to perceived health. The findings show some support for both models and suggest how they can be seen as complementary and inter-related. The social consequences of living with hepatitis C, such as potential social limitations and isolation, were more significant and had greater impact than clinical markers of disease progress and should be emphasized in understandings of transformation experiences in chronic illness.