Quality of Life and Health Promotion in Chronic Illness or Critical Medical Conditions: Implications for Integrated Health Care Delivery

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Chronic Care".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 3866

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: impact of chronic illness in patients, family and/or caregivers; health and iIlness processes in vulnerable groups; individual and family health promotion; integrated health care
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue seeks to address the impact of chronic disease or critical medical conditions across an individual’s lifespan. The goal is to bring together researchers addressing quality of life and health promotion in chronic illness in order to inform high-quality integrated care programs to facilitate adaptation and treatment in patients, families and caregivers.

The current Special Issue welcomes research papers in the area of clinical health informed by all disciplines including, but not limited to, psychology, public health sciences, behavioral medicine, epidemiology, family therapy, and nursing, addressing patients, couples, families and caregivers. Research based on the integration between primary care and secondary care as well as between health care and community care are particularly welcome.

Dr. M. Graça Pereira
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • quality of life
  • health promotion
  • integrated healthcare
  • family
  • caregivers

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 1815 KiB  
Article
Towards the Improvement of Patient Experience Evaluation Items for Patient-Centered Care in Head and Neck Cancer: A Qualitative Comparative Study
by Eun-Jeong Kim, Yoo-Ri Koo and Inn-Chul Nam
Healthcare 2024, 12(12), 1164; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12121164 - 8 Jun 2024
Viewed by 959
Abstract
Owing to long-term treatment, frequent consultations, and complications, the evaluation of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) must be improved. This study explored an opportunity for improving patient experience (PE) evaluation of patients with HNC to achieve a patient-centered, integrative evaluation model [...] Read more.
Owing to long-term treatment, frequent consultations, and complications, the evaluation of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) must be improved. This study explored an opportunity for improving patient experience (PE) evaluation of patients with HNC to achieve a patient-centered, integrative evaluation model based on patient needs. The study comprised four phases: (1) a systematic literature review of PE factors for patient quality of life (QoL) and establishment of PE factor categories as a framework, (2) a review of current cancer or HNC PE evaluation tools, (3) identification of potential PE evaluation items based on patient needs by conducting user research, and (4) suggestion of integrative HNC PE evaluation items through expert validation. As a result, the 39 potential items were initially identified from the literature review and user research. After conducting two survey rounds with experts, 25 items were suggested as HNC PE evaluation items. These underscore the importance of highlighting the patient’s participation, the medical staff’s comprehensive information delivery, empathy, and collaborative communication, the hospital’s support of communication channels, the medical environment for patient emotional support, the education program, and systematic patient satisfaction data management. PE evaluation items that consider the diverse perspectives of stakeholders involved in HNC treatment and factors of comprehensive PE will contribute to improving HNC patient-centered care (PCC). Full article
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21 pages, 631 KiB  
Article
Perceptions and Experiences of Parents of Burn-Injured Children during Hospital Stay: A Need for Integrated Care
by Martim Santos, Ana Ferraz, Maria Garcia and M. Graça Pereira
Healthcare 2024, 12(6), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12060614 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2206
Abstract
Pediatric burn injuries are a critical medical condition that triggers a series of ongoing multifactorial stressors that affect both children and their families. To inform healthcare research and clinical practice, this study aimed to understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of the [...] Read more.
Pediatric burn injuries are a critical medical condition that triggers a series of ongoing multifactorial stressors that affect both children and their families. To inform healthcare research and clinical practice, this study aimed to understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of the parents of burn-injured children during hospital stay. Forty-six parents (thirty-eight mothers) of forty-six children (eighteen girls) with a mean age of 2.28 years (SD = 1.52) answered ten open-ended questions. This qualitative study was conducted in a referral hospital in the northern region of Portugal. Qualitative data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis. Five key themes emerged from the data analysis: diving into the crisis of the child burn injury, being together and in good hands, becoming aware of an uncertain future, enhancing supportive care and environment, and finding ways to guide parents. Qualitative findings underlined the pressing need for integrated care within this context. Parents were significantly burdened and distressed during the inpatient phase. These parents should be included in the integrated care plan starting from admission. Understanding and addressing parents’ healthcare needs and psychosocial adjustment difficulties is paramount to the development of future intervention programs and the delivery of suitable integrated healthcare. Full article
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