Diefenbeck Cynthia A, Klemm Paula R, Hayes Evelyn R
Author Affiliation: School of Nursing, University of Delaware, Newark.
Comput Inform Nurs. 2017 Dec;35(12):630-638. doi: 10.1097/CIN.0000000000000376.
By providing care for loved ones in the home, family caregivers save millions of dollars for our overtaxed healthcare system. Support groups can lighten the psychological burden of caregiving. Nonprofessionally facilitated (or peer) online caregiver support groups can help meet a critical need in healthcare as a low-cost resource for caregivers. Online caregiver peer support groups can promote the health and well-being of family caregivers and, by extension, the patients themselves, resulting in cost-savings for society. A better understanding of these types of groups is of critical importance, given the unrelenting pace of demographic shift in the United States. The purpose of this study was to examine content themes emerging from an unstructured, asynchronous online peer support group for family caregivers of people with chronic illness. Qualitative content analysis was used, yielding six themes: "experiencing the emotional toll," "need for catharsis/venting," "finding the silver linings," "seeking specific advice/problem solving," "realizing home is no longer a haven," and "adapting to the caregiver role." The themes reflect what emerged organically in an online support group that was not professionally facilitated or structured in any way. Heterogeneity in the relationship between caregivers and care recipients may negatively affect outcomes and requires further study.
通过在家中照顾亲人，家庭护理人员为负担过重的医疗保健系统节省了数百万美元。支持小组可以减轻护理的心理负担。非专业人员协助（或同伴）的在线护理人员支持小组作为护理人员的低成本资源，可以帮助满足医疗保健中的一项关键需求。在线护理人员同伴支持小组可以促进家庭护理人员以及进而患者自身的健康和福祉，从而为社会节省成本。鉴于美国人口结构变化的持续速度，更好地了解这类小组至关重要。本研究的目的是考察一个针对慢性病患者家庭护理人员的非结构化、异步在线同伴支持小组中出现的内容主题。采用了定性内容分析，得出六个主题：“感受情感负担”、“需要宣泄/倾诉”、“寻找一线希望”、“寻求具体建议/解决问题”、“意识到家不再是避风港”以及“适应护理人员角色”。这些主题反映了在一个未得到专业协助或任何形式结构化的在线支持小组中自然出现的情况。护理人员与受护理者之间关系的异质性可能会对结果产生负面影响，需要进一步研究。
