Abstract

Session presented on Saturday, July 25, 2015:

Purpose: We lack understanding of the illness experiences of middle-aged patients who were confirmed to have early knee osteoarthritis and of how they manage the disease in Taiwan. The purpose of this presentation is to understand the illness experiences of middle-aged adults with early knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was applied. Participants with knee osteoarthritis, aged 40-55 years, were recruited by purposive sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews from July-December 2010. All interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative inductive content analysis to identify key themes.

Results: Illness experiences of the seventeen participants were classified into three major themes: (i) unfamiliarity with osteoarthritis; (ii) effects on daily life; and (iii) protection and alleviation. The three main themes occurred repeatedly and affected the life experiences of the patients.

Conclusion: This study indicates that patients with osteoarthritis have insufficient knowledge related to disease process and they do not know how to cope effectively. They need healthcare providers to supply them with adequate osteoarthritis disease information. Nurses should also develop interventions in their practices and guide patients to use suitable techniques to improve the functional status of their knee joint(s).

Author Details

Mei-Hua Kao, RN; Yun-Fang Tsai, PhD, RN

Sigma Membership

Non-member

Type

Poster

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Descriptive/Correlational

Research Approach

Qualitative Research

Keywords:

Nursing, Knee Osteoarthritis, Middle-Aged Adults

Conference Name

26th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Conference Year

2015

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Illness experiences in middle-aged adults with early-stage knee osteoarthritis

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Session presented on Saturday, July 25, 2015:

Purpose: We lack understanding of the illness experiences of middle-aged patients who were confirmed to have early knee osteoarthritis and of how they manage the disease in Taiwan. The purpose of this presentation is to understand the illness experiences of middle-aged adults with early knee osteoarthritis.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was applied. Participants with knee osteoarthritis, aged 40-55 years, were recruited by purposive sampling. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews from July-December 2010. All interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative inductive content analysis to identify key themes.

Results: Illness experiences of the seventeen participants were classified into three major themes: (i) unfamiliarity with osteoarthritis; (ii) effects on daily life; and (iii) protection and alleviation. The three main themes occurred repeatedly and affected the life experiences of the patients.

Conclusion: This study indicates that patients with osteoarthritis have insufficient knowledge related to disease process and they do not know how to cope effectively. They need healthcare providers to supply them with adequate osteoarthritis disease information. Nurses should also develop interventions in their practices and guide patients to use suitable techniques to improve the functional status of their knee joint(s).