Patients’Perceptions of Having a Good Life One Year after Arthritis Patient Education: A Qualitative Study Nested within a Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract: Patients with
inflammatory polyarthritis have various degrees of disease-related challenges
such as joint pain, stiffness, fatigue, and physical limitations. Despite these
challenges, patients strive for a good life using their personal resources,
often taught in patient education. The effect of patient education in
polyarthritis is well studied; however, long-term studies on what patients
perceive as a good life after participating in arthritis patient education are
scarce.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore patients’ perceptions of
having a good life one year after attending a nurse-led patient education
intervention.
Methods: This was a qualitative study nested within a randomized
controlled trial (RCT) studying the effect of nurse-led patient education.
Fifteen individual semi-structured interviews were conducted among those who
attended the nurse-led patient education intervention. The intervention focused
on the consequences of living with chronic inflammatory arthritis. The interviews
explored how and whether the intervention had made any changes in the
informants perceived health, well-being, arthritis, flares, and treatment
regimes. The data were analyzed thematically using systematic text
condensation.
Results: The findings showed that the informants’ perceptions of having a
good life were related to a stable disease with few symptoms, effective
treatment regimes, discovering new opportunities and perspectives in life, as
well as making choices that felt right. Creating a good life was something the
informants had acquired knowledge about in the nurse-led patient education
intervention, particularly in the part where they had discussed and shared
experiences with each other on how they managed their arthritis in different ways
and settings.
Conclusion: Participating in a nurse-led patient education intervention
in arthritis helped the informants to discover new opportunities and
perspectives on creating a good life, especially through exchanging experiences
with fellow patients.
Keywords: Chronic arthritis;
well-being; health promotion; patient education; qualitative methodology
Author: Kjersti Grønning, Ola
BratĂĄs, Aslak Steinsbekk
Journal Code: jpkeperawatangg170003