Information Seeking Experiences of Family Caregivers of Patients with Persistent Vegetative State: A Qualitative Study

Post-Discharge Plight Of Patients With Chronic Disorders Of Consciousness: A Systematic Review Of Socioeconomic And Health Aspects

Objective — the presented study aims to systematize and structure significant information regarding the problems of patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) and their families after discharge from the hospital, and to search for possible solutions. Material and Methods — to identify eligible studies, we searched the Medline database (via PubMed) for studies on socioeconomic and medical issues of patients with chronic DOC at the post-hospital stage of rehabilitation for the last 20 years. Results — we included 28 studies with 21 cohorts of patients from 7 different countries in our study. The components of informal caregiver burden and their impact on the quality of life were identified and systematized. These components include high physical load, high economic costs, vast time expenditures, strong emotional involvement, and a top level of expertise in caregiving, all of which are required from the relatives. Conclusion — It was affirmed, that the lack of healthcare system support was a major contributing factor to the overall burden. Our research also showed that delivering care without receiving information, advice, and training is extremely painful for family caregivers.

Being a caregiver of a relative with a prolonged disorder of consciousness living at home: A scoping review

As recent reviews of the literature have shown, a growing number of studies have focused on the burden of caregivers of people living with a prolonged disorder of consciousness. However, none of these reviews have focused specifically on caregivers in the home care setting. It is therefore difficult to have a state of knowledge specific to this setting, even though many POCD patients live at home once their condition has stabilized. For this reason, we decided, after completing recent literature reviews, to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis of publications presenting data on the quality of life of caregivers whose relative with PDOC lives at home. While all the studies agree that the presence of a person with PDOC is a heavy burden for the caregiver, some authors refute the idea defended by others that this burden is the same whether the patient lives at home or in care facilities. All the studies also stress the need for public material and organisational assistance, without which caregivers find themselves in a state of great financial and psychological distress. Such support would also help to strengthen internal resilience factors.

Barriers to Occupational Therapy Fieldwork Education in Iran: The Perspectives of Fieldwork Educators and Students

Background

Clinical education is a vital factor in the process of learning in medical sciences universities. The aim of the present study was to explore the perspectives of fieldwork educators and students concerning barriers to occupational therapy fieldwork education in Iran.

Materials and Methods

A qualitative research was conducted from May 2019 to April 2020 to address the study objectives. The data analysis was performed using conventional content analysis based on Graneheim and Lundman's approach. Purposive sampling was used to enroll 12 educators and 14 students of various backgrounds (physical disabilities-adult, physical disabilities-pediatrics, psychosocial-adult, and psychosocial-pediatrics) in the study.

Results

The findings indicated that the main themes were related to fieldwork educators, fieldwork settings, educational planning, students, and educational regulation.

Conclusions

It can be concluded that the perspectives of students and occupational therapy educators regarding the field of clinical education are not only important but also useful for the attainment of effective clinical education and the development of knowledge related to rehabilitation nursing education. Therefore, educational planners should develop effective programs based on these themes.