3 themes described how self care management was learned and experienced by patients with chronic illness
Q In patients with expertise in self care management of chronic illnesses (ie, type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, HIV/AIDS, or multiple sclerosis), how was the everyday self care decision making process learned and experienced?
DESIGN
Qualitative secondary analysis of data from 2 primary studies.
SETTING
The 2 primary studies included patients from British Columbia, Canada.
PATIENTS
43 patients (22 with type 1 diabetes, and 7 each with type 2 diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and MS) who had been chronically ill and had several years of experience in self care decision making for their disease.
METHODS
In both primary studies, data were collected through individual interviews at baseline, and after 2–3 audiotaped think aloud sessions (each lasting 1 week) over the course of 12 months; and focus group interviews done near the end of the study year. Themes and patterns evolved from a qualitative descriptive analysis method.
MAIN FINDINGS
Learning: the decision to assume control. …
