Background: Medication adherence has shown to be problematic for many renal transplant recipients. While factors promoting or inhibiting medication adherence have been extensively researched, little is known about the processes leading to this behaviour as perceived by kidney transplant recipients. Also, no research on the perspectives of German kidney transplant recipients has yet been carried out. Research Question: The question underpinning this research was: “How do German renal transplant recipients perceive the processes leading to medication adherence or non-adherence?” Methods: Following informed consent, telephone interviews with 17 German renal transplant recipients were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analysed according to the tenets of constructive Grounded Theory, until theoretical saturation was reached. The research has been approved by the research ethics committees of the School of Healthcare Sciences and the German Society of Nursing Science. Results: This research established the theory of medication-taking as a symbol of living with a chronic condition. This theory is underpinned by two categories: in the category reflecting on one’s own position, the participants discussed their role regarding the intake of medication, which was perceived very ambivalently and as just one component of self-management following transplantation. In the category experiencing facilitators and challenges, participants reported factors supporting or impeding medication-taking. Crucially, these are perceived very individually: what one finds helpful or challenging may be perceived in a fundamentally different way by someone else. Conclusions: This research has similar findings to other research in this field, such as the fact that renal transplantation is not a cure for a chronic condition. However, in contrast to other research, it has found a strong connection between medication-taking and participants’ self-reflection of being chronically ill. In this regard, it has emphasised the need for individualised care, preferably in the form of a team approach that includes patients and families as well as the different healthcare professions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:681319 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Rebafka, Anne Katharina |
| Publisher | Cardiff University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://orca.cf.ac.uk/87329/ |
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