It's life - but not as we know it : Adolescents' Perspectives of type 1 Diabetes

• Main Author: King, Kathryn M.
• Published: University of Sunderland 2008
• Subjects: 362.196462
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.485985

Long-term healthcare for adolescents with type 1 diabetes falls short of government standards (DoH, 2007). Whilst some improvement may be achieved by education, further improvement may be achievable by an improved know.ledge, not only of. the patient's perceptions of their disease, but also of those of the healthcare professionals charged with their care. This study aimed to increase knowledge, concerning the attitudes of patients and healthcare professionals, by eliciting the 'lived experience' of adolescent patients and the views oftheir healthcare professionals. A literature review elicits current knowledge and locates the research within the current healthcare agenda. The aetiology, pathophysiology and management of type 1 diabetes are reviewed, followed by an overview of adolescence and the psycho-sociological and cognitive development of the adolescent. Finally, the review surveys adolescents and diabetes, perceptions of illness and the subjectivity of individuals with chronic illness. A qualitative study, utilising the principles of ground theory (Strauss and Corbin 1998), has been undertaken using patients and healthcare professio~als from the city of Sunderland. Twenty in-depth, interviews were carried out with patients, aged 16 to 21 years, living with type 1 d~abetes. Patients from Sunderland City Hospital were invited to 'tell their story' concerning, their 'lived experience' of diabetes. Interviews were terminated when 'data saturation had been attained. Focus group interviews were carried out with five groups ofhealthcare professionals. All interviews were analysed to allow for the emergence of themes and categories.