Living with chronic illness in adults: a concept analysis

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To report an analysis of the concept of Living with chronic illness in adults, using Rodger's evolutionary analytical methodology.

Background: In the literature, several qualitative studies exist that address the question of Living with chronic illness from the adult patient's perspective. However, the lack of clarity and consensus among the existing studies renders this concept ambiguous when it is analysed in depth.

Design: A narrative review.

Methods: A systematic search has been carried out on electronic databases such as Medline (PubMed), Cinahl (Ebsco), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO (Ovid), Embase, Cuiden, Dialnet and Scielo. This was limited to articles published in either Spanish or English, from 2003-2013.

Results: Living with chronic illness is a complex, dynamic, cyclic and multidimensional process, and involves the development of five different attributes: Acceptance, Coping, Self-management, Integration and Adjustment. Depending on how these attributes operate, there are four different ways of living which can result from the process of Living with chronic illness: (1) Disavowal, (2) False Normality, (3) The New Normal and (4) Disruption.

Conclusions: This paper contributes to the understanding of the concept 'Living with chronic illness'. Findings in this analysis have to be evaluated with caution and further research is needed on this topic to confirm them. Also, more studies in evaluating how patients live a long-term condition are recommended to foster patient-centred care.

Relevance to clinical practice: Findings generated from this concept analysis can raise awareness of Living with chronic illness so that this process could be assessed in a correct and uniform way in the clinical community and improved when needed.

Keywords: Living with chronic illness; Rodgers; adults; concept analysis; nursing.