The purpose of this literature study was to describe how patients experience their quality of life while undergoing a pacemaker implantation. Searches were carried out in the databases Academic Search Elite, Ebsco Host, Pub Med, Pub Med Central, Science Direct and manually. Keywords used were quality of life, treatment outcomes, emotions, pacing and life. This resulted in nineteen peer rewieved articles that were selected for the study results. The results showed that patients undergoing a pacemaker implantation experienced an improvement in their physical health with increased functional status, more energy and strength. From a psychological perspective, some patients experienced an improvement in quality of life while others felt worried and depressed. A common factor among the patients was anxiety and insecurity concerning daily routine activities. The amount of time passed after the pacemaker implantation was also a common factor that had impact on how patients experienced their physical and psychological health. To get a deeper knowledge and understanding when meeting patients undergoing a pacemaker implantation it is important that more research, especially qualitative, is carried out.

Growing old should be the golden years of your life, being able to do whatever you want to do. Instead these years are often combined with both physical and psychological illness. Neither the body or mind are what they once were. It has been shown through empirical studies that many elderly people don’t have any social support at all. The results show loneliness and a lower experience of quality of life. Many elderly people live in community care homes, which give the opportunity of supervision and care, day and night, even though the feeling of loneliness might still be present. The aim with the study was to describe elderly people’s quality of life through the care systems perspective. The method used was a literary study with scientific articles as the foundation. The articles were located through various different data bases. The result of the study is presented through three main categories which show that social support and good physical and psychological health increase the perception of good quality of life. It is important to develop the understanding of quality of life amongst the elderly through research.

Syftet med studien var att beskriva hur ungdomar i åldersgruppen 16-19 år upplever sin livskvalitet samt att undersöka om det finns skillnader i hur flickor och pojkar upplever sin livskvalitet. Studien genomfördes på en gymnasieskola i Mellansverige i januari 2008 och är en empirisk kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie med beskrivande och jämförande design. Sammanlagt deltog 90 elever, 47 flickor och 43 pojkar. Författarna använde sig av instrumentet Life Satisfaction Questionnaire (LSQ). Huvudresultatet visade att hela undersökningsgruppen skattade högst livskvalitet i faktorn fysiska symtom. Lägst livskvalitet upplevde eleverna sig ha i faktorerna kvaliteten i vardagslivets meningsfulla och roliga aktiviteter. I jämförelsen mellan könen, fanns signifikanta skillnader i upplevd livskvalitet. Pojkarna upplevde signifikant färre fysiska symtom än flickorna. Flickorna i sin tur upplevde kvaliteten i relationer till vänner och närstående signifikant högre än pojkarna. Ungdomarna bedömde sina studieresultat och sin förmåga att klara av studierna som goda, flickor hade på dessa frågor skattat signifikant högre värden än pojkarna. De flesta eleverna upplevde sig inte som mobbade. På frågan om nedstämdhet hade en tredjedel av ungdomarna uppgett att de i viss utsträckning eller mer känt sig nedstämda. På denna fråga hade pojkarna skattat signifikant högre värden än flickorna. Nyckelord: Livskvalitet, / The purpose of this study was to describe how adolescents in the age of 16-19 experience their quality of life and to explore if there are any differences between the sexes. The study was carried out at a high school in Sweden during January 2008 and is an empirical, quantitative cross sectional study with a descriptive and comparative design. The final sum of participants were 90, 47 girls and 43 boys. The authors used the Life Satisfaction Questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the highest scores were found in physical symptoms. The teenagers scored lowest in the everyday life’s fun and meaningful activities. The result showed differences between the sexes, boys rated significantly higher quality of life than girls in physical symptoms, whereas girls rated their quality of life significantly higher in relations to family members and friends. The teenagers estimated their study result and their ability to manage their studies as rather good, in these subjects, the girls rated significantly higher scores than the boys. The majority of the students did not feel harassed. A third of the adolescents stated that they had felt depressed in some degree or higher. In this question, the boys rated significantly higher scores than the girls. Keywords: Quality

Bakgrund: Under de senaste decennierna har det skett en förändring med minskad svårighetsgrad av symtom och en minskad dödlighet vid stroke. Termen ”minor stroke” används för patienter med milda neurologiska handikapp. Inom hälso- och sjukvården görs bedömningen att dessa patienter inte har funktionsnedsättningar och förväntningarna är att de ska återhämta sig snabbt. Detta är den vanligaste stroke diagnosen men ändå den som får minst uppmärksamhet både kliniskt och vetenskapligt. Syfte: Syftet med undersökningen var att beskriva patienters erfarenhet efter minor stroke. Metod: Kvalitativ ansats med intervju som insamlingsmetod. Urvalet bestod av 10 in remitterade patienter till strokemottagningen Länssjukhuset Kalmar. Data analyserades med innehållsanalys. Resultat: I studiens resultat framkommer tre teman: det var inte som vanligt i kroppen, det fungerade inte som förr och det var inte lätt att återta kontrollen . Informanterna beskrev en bristande delaktighet från sjukvården, generell information och en oklar utskrivning. Först då de kom hem till sin vardag började de förstå vilka svårigheter som stroke hade fört med sig. Deras största svårigheter var dolda funktionshinder såsom kognitiva symtom framför allt hjärntrötthet. De hade svårt att acceptera situationen och till en början negligerade de allvaret. Allt eftersom började de att återta kontrollen i sin vardag, de skapade copingstrategier och hitta en ny livsstil på egen hand. Konklusion: Patienter med minor stroke beskriver svårigheter efter insjuknandet som de behöver fortsatt stöd i att hantera. Tidig uppföljning och fortsatt stöd från sjukvården är viktig. / Background: In recent decades there has been a change with reduced severity of symptoms and reduced mortality of stroke. The term “minor stroke” is used for patients with mild neurological disabilities. In the health care field, it is considered that these patients do not have disabilities, and are expected to recover quickly. This is the most common stroke diagnosis, yet the one who gets the least attention, both clinically and scientifically. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe patients experience after minor stroke. Method: Qualitative approach with interview data collection method. The sample consisted of 10 patients with minor stroke at stroke clinic Länssjukhuset Kalmar. Data were analyzed by content analysis. Results: The result of the study reveals three themes: it was not as before in the body, it did not work as before and it was not easy to regain control. The informants describe a lack of participation from the health care field, no specific information’s and a lack of participation. When the patients came home to their everyday lives, they began to understand the difficulties that stroke had brought them. Their greatest difficulty was hidden disabilities such as cognitive symptoms, especially brain fatigue. They found it difficult to accept the situation and initially ignored the gravity. As they began to regain control in their everyday lives, they created coping strategies and find a new life on their own. Conclusion: Patients suffering from minor stroke that has had onset of difficulties need continued support to manage. Early follow-up and continued support of health care field is important.

Measuring disparities in Quality of Life (QOL) can be challenging due to the vast amount of factors to be included. This study attempts to measure disparities in QOL using a newly developed Urban Health Index (UHI). Using 128 census tracts in City of Atlanta in Georgia as an example, this study selects six variables that are related to QOL. Their geometric mean is then used to construct a single numeric value for each census tract. The QOL disparity ratio is then determined by the upper and lower 10% of the data. The slope of disparity is calculated using the remaining 80% of the data. The results show that urban health index may be an affective indicator of QOL in a city.

En allergisk person påverkas på fysisk, psykisk och social nivå. Unga vuxna allergiska personers erfarenheter och upplevelser av allergi är relativt outforskat. Syftet med studien är att förstå hur unga vuxna personer med allergi upplever att allergin påverkar deras vardag och hur de förhåller sig till ett liv anpassat efter allergin. En kvalitativ intervjustudie genomfördes med 10 deltagare i åldrarna 18-22 år som hade olika former av allergier. Resultatet visade att allergi har en betydande roll för allergiska personers identitetsskapande och många beskriver en strävan efter att passa in socialt trots sina besvär. I denna strävan görs en avvägning mellan de risker som det innebär och värdet av den aktuella situationen. Intervjupersonerna upplevde att förståelsen av allergiers konsekvenser är bristfällig vilket kan försvåra för en allergisk person i dess vardag. Resultatet visade att deltagarnas livskvalitet påverkades negativt på grund av allergin, samtidigt beskrevs livskvaliteten på ett motsägelsefullt sätt av deltagarna.

Past research advocates the need for long-term care (LTC) facilities to adopt a person-centred model of care to optimize residents quality of life. The construct of quality of life in LTC has been defined by satisfaction with a set of domains identified by Kane and colleagues (2003). One goal of this study was to determine which domain is the most predictive of overall well-being among LTC residents in a rural setting. Based on past research and on Deci and Ryans (1985; 1991) self-determination theory, satisfaction with autonomy was predicted to emerge as most predictive of overall well-being. The present study also examined the relation between resident quality of life and well-being, and the degree of routinization (i.e., adherence to a rigid, inflexible daily schedule) within the LTC environment. Routinization is conceptually at odds with a person-centred model of care, yet its relation to the well-being of care recipients had not been examined prior. One hundred and ninety-eight residents from 15 LTC facilities in rural Saskatchewan participated in individual interviews to measure their satisfaction with 11 quality of life domains (Kane et al., 2003), and their overall well-being (using the Memorial University of Newfoundland Scale of Happiness; MUNSH; Kozma & Stones, 1980). One hundred and thirty-one staff from the 15 facilities completed a questionnaire designed to assess routinization within the LTC environment. Contrary to predictions, autonomy failed to emerge as a significant predictor of overall well-being among sample residents. The domain of meaningful activity received residents lowest satisfaction rating of the 11 domains, and also accounted for the most unique variance in overall well-being. Routinization was negatively related to resident quality of life, with staff rating routinization higher in facilities which residents reported lower satisfaction with quality of life. Results provide focus for improving the quality of life of LTC residents, and point to areas for further study.

A long-term care resident sits in front of a TV. With the push of a remote control button she instantly sees and visits with her children and grandchildren over 500 miles away. She last saw them on her 80th birthday, four years ago. She and her family are participants in a social action inquiry that explores video conferencing in order to understand the value of technology enhanced face-to-face interaction in a long-term care home. <p>This research, designed as a compassionate response to the serious problems of isolation, loneliness, helplessness, and boredom in long-term care, set out to determine what video conferencing can mean to long-term care residents and to the people they connect with. The study queried possibilities for improving the quality of social interactions of residents in long-term care facilities with family members living at some considerable distance from them. It involved setup of technical equipment, then three residents in a long-term care facility in western Canada were introduced to the practice of video conferencing with their families. Each conferencing event was supported with volunteers for a three-four month exploration period. <p>The research was intended to contribute to knowledge about learning in later life, to promote a way of increasing communication between the elderly and younger generations, and to address issues associated with elderly long-term care residents access to video conferencing technology. <p>Data collected through memory logs, observations, and interviews indicates that all study participants, including residents, family, and volunteers, responded favourably to the video conferencing experience. This study supports the claims that video conferencing can increase the frequency of contact between long-term residents and family members, and that the quality of this contact is enhanced through the visual presence and engagement of participants, through use of video conferencing technology. The video conferencing enabled family members separated by distance and unable to visit frequently to take on a "regular visitor role" and for residents to go visiting. The visually enhanced communication / visits transformed the otherwise limited audio interaction of phone calls or no interaction into socially substantive experiences of connectedness, inclusion about which residents reported feeling excited and connected with something to look forward to. <p>This suggests video conferencing could contribute to a good quality of life for residents. Future communications infrastructures should seriously consider inclusion strategies and availability of effective applications to long-term care residents.

Although the concept of quality of life (QOL) has become increasingly popular in the past few decades in a number of fields of research, few studies have specifically examined QOL for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Several studies have found that objectively measured outcomes for adults with high-functioning autism (HFA) and Asperger's syndrome (AS) tend to be poor in terms of employment, relationships, mental health, and independence. However, it has been recently suggested that in order to obtain a more accurate depiction of overall QOL, subjective impressions must be examined as well. Recent research has found that the most significant predictor variable of QOL for high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders is the discrepancy between support needed and formal support provided. The current study examined 15 formal support variables and their relationships to subjective QOL scores on the WHOQOL-BREF, in 4 domains (physical health, psychological health, environment, and social relationships) as well as overall QOL. A total of 33 participants completed a questionnaire that included items designed to obtain information on demographics and formal support. Participants also completed the WHOQOL-BREF in order to obtain overall QOL scores along with QOL domain scores. Significant negative correlations were found between Environmental QOL scores and the accessing of a social worker as well as the accessing of social groups. Significant negative correlations were also found between Social QOL scores and the accessing of a psychiatrist and a single-item overall QOL score and the accessing of counselling or psychotherapy. All correlations between formal support factors and QOL scores showed lower QOL scores for those individuals who accessed the supports. The results of standard multiple regression analyses revealed a significant model that accounted for 49% of the total variance in the amount of total supports accessed as well as two other significant models predicting Social QOL and Environmental QOL.

Problem: Many individuals with chronic illnesses such as stroke and ongoing activity limitations report self-perceived health related quality of life (HRQL) that is similar to that of healthy individuals. This phenomenon is termed response shift (RS). RS describes how people change: internal standards in assessing HRQL (recalibration), values (reprioritization), or how they define HRQL (reconceptualization), after an event such as stroke. Changes in HRQL post stroke may be inaccurate if RS is not taken into account. Increased knowledge of RS may affect the way in which HRQL measures are used, both clinically and in research. The overall objective was to assess RS in construct specific HRQL models post stroke: physical function, mental health, and participation. Methods: Data were analysed from the longitudinal study “Understanding Quality of Life Post-Stroke: A Study of Individuals and their Caregivers”. Six-hundred and seventy- eight persons with stroke at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post stroke participated. Generic and stroke specific HRQL measures were collected. Descriptive analysis was completed with SAS, and identification of RS utilized structural equation modeling with LISREL. Results: Mean age of participants was 67 years (SD 14.8), and 45% were female. RS was identified in mental health using a framework which was developed for identifying RS statistically with multiple time points. RS was also identified in physical function where it had not been expected, possibly due to the self perceived nature of the response options. The effect size of change in physical function was affected by the presence of RS. The timing of RS in mental health and physical function was primarily around the 12 month time period, and predominantly recalibration RS. RS was also identified in participation. Conclusions: The framework that was developed was useful in identifying RS and incorporated important issues such as multiple testing and validation of the model. The presence of RS affects measurement of HRQL constructs post stroke; recalibration RS can be measured clinically with specific methods to account for RS. RS should also be measured in research studies to ensure accurate measurement of change. Future research should evaluate additional models in stroke and other populations. / October 2008