Hwang Eun Jeong, Kim Young Hae, Jun Seong Sook
Pusan National University, Busan 602-739, South Korea.
Int J Nurs Stud. 2004 Mar;41(3):239-46. doi: 10.1016/S0020-7489(03)00132-9.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sufferers number approximately 200 million people around the world. In Korea, there is no accurate statistical information, but 1-2% of the total population have been estimated to be suffering from RA. Current research studies related to RA have been limited to quantitative approaches. In qualitative studies, most research has been focused on one aspect of the experience of patients with RA, such as pain or fatigue. In order to address the problems of patients with chronic disease, like RA, a comprehensive approach should be demanded concerning various aspects of the patient's life in terms of perspectives of the patients with RA. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the illness experience of women with RA in Korea using a phenomenological methodology. Participants were five women who were diagnosed with RA. The transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's (In: Vails, R.S., King, M. (Eds.), Existential Phenomenological Alternatives for Psychology. Oxford University Press, New York, 1978) method. The results of this study identified 8 major theme clusters, which were 'severe pain', 'self-esteem', 'negative feelings', 'reflect the past life', 'concentrate on recovery from disease', 'a comfortable mind in pain', 'support of family and others', and 'new life'. These results may provide important information to establish effective interventions for women with RA, their families, and health providers through understanding various aspects of the lived experience of women with RA. The implications for nursing practice in this area of chronic illness such as RA, should be how patients can be empowered to believe they can take control of their disease and their lives.
类风湿性关节炎（RA）患者在全球约有2亿人。在韩国，没有准确的统计信息，但据估计，总人口的1%-2%患有RA。目前与RA相关的研究仅限于定量方法。在定性研究中，大多数研究都集中在RA患者经历的一个方面，如疼痛或疲劳。为了解决像RA这样的慢性病患者的问题，应该从RA患者的角度，对患者生活的各个方面采取综合方法。本研究的目的是采用现象学方法探索和描述韩国RA女性患者的患病经历。参与者为五名被诊断患有RA的女性。使用科莱齐（见：韦尔斯，R.S.，金，M.（编），《心理学的存在主义现象学替代方法》。牛津大学出版社，纽约，1978年）的方法对转录本进行分析。本研究结果确定了8个主要主题簇，即“剧痛”、“自尊”、“负面情绪”、“反思过去生活”、“专注于疾病康复”、“疼痛时的平静心态”、“家人和他人的支持”以及“新生活”。这些结果可能通过了解RA女性患者生活经历的各个方面，为针对RA女性患者、其家人和医疗服务提供者制定有效的干预措施提供重要信息。在RA等慢性病领域，对护理实践的启示应该是如何使患者有能力相信他们能够掌控自己的疾病和生活。
