Challenges in the Daily Living Activities of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis: A Qualitative Content Analysis.
Ali Dehghani, Mahsa Khoramkish, Sara Shahsavari Isfahani
PMID 31341919WHAT IT FOUND
People with MS described fear of an unpredictable future as their main daily life challenge.
Fatigue, dependence fears, treatment costs, and community misconceptions affected daily activities.
Key findings
01Fear of an ambiguous future was the main theme across interviews.
02Participants described physical, emotional, psychological and behavioral changes, including fatigue, numbness, imbalance, isolation, anxiety, depression, despair, anger, and sensitivity, as challenges to daily life.
03Participants reported fear of becoming crippled, dependence on others, treatment costs, poor insurance coverage, and community misconceptions as challenges to daily activities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only 14 patients from one MS Society in one Iranian city, so the themes may not apply to other settings or groups. Only patients were interviewed, not family members or caregivers, so it cannot show how families experience these challenges. Participants had to be able to express experiences and were not in acute attacks, so it may miss patients with severe relapses or communication difficulties. It is a qualitative study, so it cannot show that addressing these themes improves outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these themes as proof that any nursing or education intervention improves daily activities. The study interviewed 14 patients with MS and reports their experiences, not measured outcomes or treatment effects.