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Older individuals’ need for knowledge and follow-up about their chronic atrial fibrillation, lifelong medical treatment and medical controls

Lindberg, Terese LU ; Sanmartin Berglund, Johan ; Elmståhl, Sölve LU and Bohman, Doris M. (2017) In Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 31(4). p.1022-1030
Abstract

Older individuals with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) often experience physical symptoms and feel psychologically unwell. In addition, these persons are prescribed lifelong medical treatment that requires regular monitoring. Through 11 individual interviews, this interpretive description study aimed to explore and describe lifelong medical treatment and the need for medical controls as experienced from the perspective of older individuals living with chronic AF. The interviews were performed during 2014–2015; furthermore, they were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed for thematic patterns using thematic analysis inspired by Braun and Clarke. Ethical standards were followed throughout the study. The findings revealed one main... (More)

Older individuals with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) often experience physical symptoms and feel psychologically unwell. In addition, these persons are prescribed lifelong medical treatment that requires regular monitoring. Through 11 individual interviews, this interpretive description study aimed to explore and describe lifelong medical treatment and the need for medical controls as experienced from the perspective of older individuals living with chronic AF. The interviews were performed during 2014–2015; furthermore, they were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed for thematic patterns using thematic analysis inspired by Braun and Clarke. Ethical standards were followed throughout the study. The findings revealed one main theme: ‘ambivalence in the need of knowledge’ showing that lifelong medical treatment and the need for medical controls, in general, meant experiencing feelings of ‘it doesn't matter, but it does matter’ and ‘being in the hands of the healthcare system’. The older persons lacked knowledge about their condition, which generated poor insight into their medical treatment and this in turn affected their daily life. They had thoughts and questions about their medication, but did not have an opportunity to ask the questions because of lack of follow-up from the healthcare system. The findings underscore the negative impact chronic AF has on older people's life and emphasises the need for follow-up and providing information from health care to these individuals.

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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
ageing, heart health, interpretive methods, lived experience, medication, older people, qualitative method
in
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
volume
31
issue
4
pages
9 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85035333640
  • pmid:29193262
  • wos:000416413000042
ISSN
0283-9318
DOI
10.1111/scs.12427
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
827fc300-ff6d-4325-9ae2-270f9df5917c
date added to LUP
2017-12-12 07:28:22
date last changed
2024-01-14 12:51:37
@article{827fc300-ff6d-4325-9ae2-270f9df5917c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Older individuals with chronic atrial fibrillation (AF) often experience physical symptoms and feel psychologically unwell. In addition, these persons are prescribed lifelong medical treatment that requires regular monitoring. Through 11 individual interviews, this interpretive description study aimed to explore and describe lifelong medical treatment and the need for medical controls as experienced from the perspective of older individuals living with chronic AF. The interviews were performed during 2014–2015; furthermore, they were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed for thematic patterns using thematic analysis inspired by Braun and Clarke. Ethical standards were followed throughout the study. The findings revealed one main theme: ‘ambivalence in the need of knowledge’ showing that lifelong medical treatment and the need for medical controls, in general, meant experiencing feelings of ‘it doesn't matter, but it does matter’ and ‘being in the hands of the healthcare system’. The older persons lacked knowledge about their condition, which generated poor insight into their medical treatment and this in turn affected their daily life. They had thoughts and questions about their medication, but did not have an opportunity to ask the questions because of lack of follow-up from the healthcare system. The findings underscore the negative impact chronic AF has on older people's life and emphasises the need for follow-up and providing information from health care to these individuals.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lindberg, Terese and Sanmartin Berglund, Johan and Elmståhl, Sölve and Bohman, Doris M.}},
  issn         = {{0283-9318}},
  keywords     = {{ageing; heart health; interpretive methods; lived experience; medication; older people; qualitative method}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{1022--1030}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences}},
  title        = {{Older individuals’ need for knowledge and follow-up about their chronic atrial fibrillation, lifelong medical treatment and medical controls}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.12427}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/scs.12427}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}