Abstract

Introduction: More and more people are diagnosed with a chronic disease. The socioeconomic consequences have been analyzed, but the results are all numbers. How do the patients really experience life with a chronic diagnosis? This qualitative study look into chronic patients' lives to find items that can form the basis for further reflection.
Methods: A qualitative case study of six patients with different chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, familial hypercholesterolemia, ischemic heart disease and hypertension) is presented. All patients were recruited from different general practices. The interviews were semistructured, face-to-face, and performed by six medical students in the patients’ own homes. Analyses were made according to systematic text condensation as described by Malterud K.
Results: Several interesting themes were discovered, and we decided that illness perception, perception of treatment and of consultations with the doctor were the most relevant for the doctors. The information we got led us to emphasize the need to see the patient behind the diagnosis.
Conclusion: Patients perceive living with a chronic diagnoses differently. This depends on his/her common beliefs about the illness, its prognosis and its treatment. It should be considered and explored when treating patients with chronic diseases where treatment is often lifelong.