INTRODUCTION: The study was conducted at the Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark (VCR). The aim of the study was to explore patients' experiences following traumatic spinal cord injury and to identify characteristics of positive versus negative life situation 1 year post discharge from hospital rehabilitation. This was a qualitative study conducted using inductive content analysis. CASE PRESENTATION: In this qualitative study seven patients were interviewed one year after discharge from initial rehabilitation at the VCR. The interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis. DISCUSSION: We found that two categories condensed the patients' experiences of their life situation 1 year post discharge: 'clarification in relation to overall life situation' and 'threat to core competences'. The transversal analysis across the derived categories identified different combinations of clarification and threats to core competences explaining the patients' experiences: high degree of clarification combined with low degree of threat to core competences was indicative of positive life situation. Also, positive life situation was seen when a high degree of clarification compensated for high degree of threats on core competencies. In contrast, an overall stressful and negative life situation was influenced by poor clarification combined with a high degree of threat to core competences. However, when core competences can be transformed into new skills, threats were manageable. This study revealed that clarification related to overall life situation in combination with threat to core competences may explain traumatic spinal cord injury patients' overall life situation 1 year post discharge. An appropriate balance characterises a positive life situation. There might be a need to pay attention to patients who are challenged by low degree of clarification and high degree of threats on core competencies 1 year post discharge as this may influence the life situation negatively.
INTRODUCTION: The study was conducted at the Spinal Cord Injury Centre of Western Denmark (VCR). The aim of the study was to explore patients' experiences following traumatic spinal cord injury and to identify characteristics of positive versus negative life situation 1 year post discharge from hospital rehabilitation. This was a qualitative study conducted using inductive content analysis. CASE PRESENTATION: In this qualitative study seven patients were interviewed one year after discharge from initial rehabilitation at the VCR. The interviews were analysed using inductive content analysis. DISCUSSION: We found that two categories condensed the patients' experiences of their life situation 1 year post discharge: 'clarification in relation to overall life situation' and 'threat to core competences'. The transversal analysis across the derived categories identified different combinations of clarification and threats to core competences explaining the patients' experiences: high degree of clarification combined with low degree of threat to core competences was indicative of positive life situation. Also, positive life situation was seen when a high degree of clarification compensated for high degree of threats on core competencies. In contrast, an overall stressful and negative life situation was influenced by poor clarification combined with a high degree of threat to core competences. However, when core competences can be transformed into new skills, threats were manageable. This study revealed that clarification related to overall life situation in combination with threat to core competences may explain traumatic spinal cord injurypatients' overall life situation 1 year post discharge. An appropriate balance characterises a positive life situation. There might be a need to pay attention to patients who are challenged by low degree of clarification and high degree of threats on core competencies 1 year post discharge as this may influence the life situation negatively.
Authors: Christel M C van Leeuwen; Marcel W M Post; Floris W A van Asbeck; Helma M H Bongers-Janssen; Lucas H V van der Woude; Sonja de Groot; Eline Lindeman Journal: Disabil Rehabil Date: 2011-08-26 Impact factor: 3.033
Authors: Eleanor Weitzner; Susan Surca; Sarah Wiese; Andrea Dion; Zoe Roussos; Rebecca Renwick; Karen Yoshida Journal: Qual Health Res Date: 2011-08-16
Authors: Christel M van Leeuwen; Marcel W Post; Paul Westers; Lucas H van der Woude; Sonja de Groot; Tebbe Sluis; Hans Slootman; Eline Lindeman Journal: Arch Phys Med Rehabil Date: 2011-10-05 Impact factor: 3.966