Arts and Humanities Commons^™

New Materialism, Agential Realism, And The Veteran-As-Patient Experience: Virtual Healthcare Space In Action, Luciana Maria Herman

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Veterans often access healthcare services through the Veterans Affairs (VA) website, though not all veterans have the same experiences or success rates. This study sought to understand the nature of the veteran-as-patient experience accessing healthcare via www.va.gov. The purpose of this dissertation study was to explore the rhetoricity (i.e., situational and contextual dependence and propensity to affect action) of virtual healthcare space and how it impacts patient participation for veterans seeking healthcare through the Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare website. Through a mixed-methods study, I learned how www.va.gov functions rhetorically as a non-human actor, posing challenges to and facilitating usersâ?? navigation …