Related Experiment Videos
Being active supports client control over health care
1School of Nursing, University of Ballarat, Ballarat, Australia.
Contemporary Nurse
|November 24, 2004
Summary
Patients gain a sense of health control by moving from vulnerability to purposeful action. This involves reflecting, self-determination, and normalizing experiences to enhance wellbeing and patient engagement.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Patient Empowerment
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Understanding patient control is crucial for effective healthcare.
- Existing literature defines control, locus of control, and its link to wellbeing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore how healthcare clients achieve and maintain a sense of control over their health.
- To identify factors influencing patient control in acute and chronic conditions.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study using symbolic interactionism and grounded theory.
- Data collected over six months from sixty hospitalized patients via interviews, observation, and record review.
Main Results:
- Patients progress from vulnerability (limited choices, information, support) to a sense of control and purposeful activity.
- Purposeful activity is characterized by reflecting, self-determination, and normalizing health experiences.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare clients can actively cultivate a sense of control over their health journey.
- Healthcare providers can utilize these findings to better support patient empowerment and engagement.