Qualitative research

Background: Taking care of patients with bipolar disorder (BD) makes critical challenges for their informal caregivers (ICGs) and forces them to tolerate considerable burden. This qualitative study explored the dimensions of ICGs' care burden (CB) based on their own experiences and the patients' therapists. Materials and methods: This is a qualitative study which was conducted based on conventional content analysis through semistructured and in-depth interviews.

Background: Little is known about the last phase of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators and the practice of advance care planning in this population. Aim: To describe the last phase of life and advance care planning process of patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and to assess relatives' satisfaction with treatment and care. Design: Mixed-methods study, including a survey and focus group study.

Background: ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) is a nurse coach-led, early palliative care model for patients with advanced cancer and their family caregivers. Content covered includes problem-solving, advance care planning, symptom management and self-care. The aim was to evaluate the cultural acceptability of ENABLE among patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers in Singapore and identify modifications for an adapted ENABLE-SG model.

Objectives: To undertake a realist review of carer‐led oral hygiene interventions for people with intellectual disabilities. This was run parallel with a Cochrane Review. Methods: Realist review methods were followed. This was characterized by an iterative process of developing and refining theories of how interventions might work, expressed as context‐mechanism‐outcome configurations. The steps included identifying candidate theories with local and international expert consultation before applying an iterative search strategy.

Background: Due to the aging society the number of informal caregivers is growing. Most informal caregivers are women working as nurses within a health organization (also labeled as double-duty caregiver) and they have a high risk of developing mental and physical exhaustion. Until now little research attention has been paid to the expectations and needs of double duty caregivers and the role of self-management in managing private-work balance.

We describe the findings of a qualitative longitudinal interview study of a group of initially community-dwelling frail older people, and their informal and formal carers. We used a narrative approach to explore the role that narrative may have for people living with frailty. This has been less explored comparative to the experiences of those living with chronic illness. The frail older people told stories of their experiences that revealed three distinct shapes or typologies.

Purpose: Patients with cancer often experience a reduced ability to eat. This can have psychosocial consequences for both patients and informal caregivers. Current literature is mainly focused on patients with end stage advanced disease and cancer cachexia. This qualitative study provides new insights in the field of Psycho Oncology by exploring psychosocial consequences of a reduced ability to eat in patients in different stages of the disease and in recovery and remission.

Objectives This study aimed to assess the lived experiences of palliative care among critically unwell people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA), caregivers and relatives of deceased patients. It also aimed to understand the broader palliative care context in Bihar. Design This was an exploratory, qualitative study which used thematic analysis of semistructured, in-depth interviews as well as a focus group discussion.

Background Dementia care in the Netherlands is increasingly dependent on informal care and has the aim to keep persons with dementia at home for as long as possible. However, little is known about the preferences and needs of people with dementia living at home. Including people with dementia and their informal caregivers in research and policy creation could help to identify necessary forms of support, and tailor care to their personal preferences and needs.

Aim: While the care of dying elderly patients at home is very complex and ambiguous, it has not been studied in Iran so far. Hence, this study aimed to explore the experience of a representative sample of the Iranian family caregivers from the end-of-life (EOL) care for their elderly relatives. Methods: The present study was conducted using a qualitative content analysis method. Twelve family caregivers caring for the chronically ill dying elderly were selected using purposeful sampling.