Article

A conceptual model to identify medically relevant aspects of blood pressure
dysregulation (BPD) related to quality of life in individuals with spinal cord
injury (SCI), and to propose an integrated conceptual framework based on input
from both individuals with SCI and their clinical providers. This framework will
serve as a guide for the development of a patient-reported outcome (PRO) measure
specifically related to BPD. DESIGN: Three focus groups with individuals with SCI
and 3 groups with SCI providers were analyzed using grounded-theory based
qualitative analysis to ascertain how blood pressure impacts health-related
quality of life (HRQOL) in individuals with SCI. SETTING: Focus groups were
conducted at 2 Veterans Affairs medical centers and a research center.
PARTICIPANTS: Individuals with SCI (n=27) in 3 focus groups and clinical
providers (n=25) in 3 focus groups. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME
MEASURES: Not applicable. RESULTS: Qualitative analysis indicated that all focus
groups spent the highest percentage of time discussing symptoms of BPD (39%),
followed by precipitators/causes of BPD (16%), preventative actions (15%),
corrective actions (12%), and the impact that BPD has on social or emotional
functioning (8%). While patient/consumer focus groups and provider focus groups
raised similar issues, providers spent more time discussing precipitators/causes
of BPD and preventative actions (38%) than patient/consumer groups (24%).
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BPD uniquely and adversely impacts HRQOL
in persons with SCI. While both individuals with SCI and their providers
highlighted the relevant symptoms of BPD, the SCI providers offered additional
detailed information regarding the precipitators/causes and what can be done to
prevent/treat BPD. Further, the results suggest that persons with SCI are aware
of how BPD impacts their HRQOL and are able to distinguish between subtle signs
and symptoms. These findings exemplify the need for a validated and sensitive
clinical measurement tool that can assess the extent to which BPD impacts HRQOL
in patients with SCI.
CI - Copyright (c) 2013 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS