Kao Mei-Hua, Tsai Yun-Fang
Department of Nursing, Mackay Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan; School of Nursing, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan.
J Adv Nurs. 2014 Jul;70(7):1564-72. doi: 10.1111/jan.12313. Epub 2013 Nov 15.
To understand the illness experiences of middle-aged adults with early knee osteoarthritis.
Knee osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of lower limb disability in middle-aged adults and older people. Nurses 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.
A qualitative descriptive design was applied.
Participants with knee osteoarthritis, aged 40-55 years, were recruited by purposive sampling (n = 17). 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.
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.
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).
了解中年早期膝关节骨关节炎患者的患病经历。
膝关节骨关节炎是中年人和老年人下肢残疾的最常见原因之一。在台湾，护士对确诊为早期膝关节骨关节炎的中年患者的患病经历以及他们如何应对该疾病缺乏了解。
采用质性描述性设计。
通过目的抽样法招募了40 - 55岁的膝关节骨关节炎患者（n = 17）。2010年7月至12月通过半结构化访谈收集数据。所有访谈记录均采用质性归纳内容分析法进行分析，以确定关键主题。
17名参与者的患病经历分为三个主要主题：（i）对骨关节炎不熟悉；（ii）对日常生活的影响；（iii）保护与缓解。这三个主要主题反复出现，影响了患者的生活经历。
本研究表明，骨关节炎患者对疾病过程的知识不足，不知道如何有效应对。他们需要医疗服务提供者为他们提供足够的骨关节炎疾病信息。护士还应在实践中制定干预措施，并指导患者使用合适的技术来改善膝关节的功能状态。
