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Learning Objective 1: "The learner will be able to reconsider responses to pacemaker implantation in the light of expanded technology , for varied implanted biotechnical devices".
Learning Objective 2: "The learner will be able to examine patients' experiences in both ways to take into consideration the idea of merging person and machine".
Mahnaz Rakhshan*, Parkhideh Hassani**, Tahereh Ashktorab**, Hamid Alavi Majd**
*PhD student in Nursing, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical science. Tehran, Iran.
** Associate Professor, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical science. Tehran, Iran.
Purpose: The intent of this mixed methods study is to explore the experiences of pacemaker patients and to analyze these experiences through the conceptual framework of the Leventhal model.
Design: In this triangulation mixed methods study, a brief illness perception questionnaire has been used to test the self regulatory model of Leventhal that predicts the illness perceptions for pacemaker patients, before and after hospital discharge. Concurrent with this quantitative data collection, descriptive phenomenology will explore patients’ experiences of living with a cardiac pacemaker.
Results: This work is in progress. Thus far the primary investigator has piloted the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire on a sample of pacemaker patients to evaluate the psychometric properties of the instrument. Generally, the findings confirmed that psychometric properties of the questionnaire in light of the socio-cultural background of pacemaker patients were satisfactory. Quantitative data collection with a quasi-experimental design is currently in progress and is being continued on a sample of 50 patients who have undergone a brief educational counseling session with regards to pacemaker placement. The qualitative data collection would be postponed until after the intervention implementation and employ a sequential design of data collection.
Implication: The reason for collecting both quantitative and qualitative data is to compare the results from two different methodologies thus providing a more valid and well-substantiated conclusion about pacemaker patient's experiences. Having a clearer understanding of these patients’ experiences will help healthcare workers to design programs that will more holistically meet these patients’ needs.
Kew words: Cardiac Pacemaker, Patient experience, Leventhal Self Regulatory Model, Mixed methodology.