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Results for “Sick Role”

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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

A role for the sick role. Patient preferences regarding information and participation in clinical decision-making.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether patient preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making about treatment options are related to patient characteristics and the context of the decision. Other studies have compared decision-making preferences in patients with cancer and healthy subjects, or in different contexts among patients in the same group. This study combined these designs. DESIGN: Questionnaire completed by the subjects. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: A consecutive sample of 55 patients with cancer treated at a radiotherapy clinic, 53 persons accompanying them, a consecutive sample of 53 patients visiting a surgical outpatient clinic for a nonmalignant condition and 36 persons accompanying them. MAIN MEASURES: Preferences regarding information and participation in decision-making in general and with respect to 4 vignettes that described different diseases of varying seriousness, varying treatment options and side effects. RESULTS: Older patients and men were more likely to let the physician make decisions regarding their treatment. Patients, as compared with nonpatients (their companions), were more likely to prefer a passive role regarding treatment decisions. No differences were seen between patients with cancer and patients with nonmalignant conditions. Also, no effect was observed in relation to the decision-making situations described in the vignettes. Of the patients who preferred more information, a substantial proportion still preferred a passive decision-making role. CONCLUSION: The lack of strong predictors of a preferred decision-making role implies that clinicians need to assess every patient individually to determine what role he or she prefers. The finding that the patients preferred a more passive role than their companions suggests that the "sick role" influences the preference regarding participation more strongly than the type of decision to be made or the presence of a life-threatening disease. This hypothesized shift in preference among subjects who are sick implies that these patients need encouragement to participate.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Stressors and social support perceptions predict illness attitudes and care-seeking intentions: re-examining the sick role.

Parsons' (1951) sick role concept has had a profound impact on the study of sickness as a social phenomenon. The sick role might be better conceived as a set of illness attitudes and care-seeking intentions rather than a set of social norms. This investigation purports (a) to explore the relationships among illness attitudes, (b) to examine the ability of illness attitudes to predict medical care-seeking intentions, and (c) to investigate differences in the sick role as a function of stressors and social support perceptions. Participants (N = 148) completed a survey questionnaire assessing daily hassles, life events, perceived social support, dependence, self-criticism, and the sick role. Results of a factor analysis on the sick role measures revealed four attitudinal (Release, Consideration, Burden, and Deviance) and two behavioral (Denial and Consult) factors. The attitudinal factors were moderately intercorrelated, with some ability to predict care-seeking intentions. Regression analyses revealed that stressors and support perceptions did exhibit some ability to predict the sick role. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for health communication research.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is the hospital sick role a barrier to patient participation?

The sick role is a complex behaviour that allows a person who is ill to depend on carers. This article discusses the parameters of the sick role, explains how it is prompted by admission to hospital and asks whether it can act as a barrier to patients' participation in decisions on their care. It considers why some patients are reluctant to relinquish the sick role and suggests ways for nurses to help these patients to play an active part in their own recovery.

Hospitalization↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Identification and validation of a new nursing diagnosis: sick role conflict.

The purpose of this research is to assess the presence, etiology, and effects of sick role conflict experienced by hospitalized patients. Data from 99 hospitalized adult subjects were analyzed using a path analysis design. Patients were interviewed at the bedside using a structured interview tool developed by the researchers. It was found that subjects who occupied multiple roles, who were not adequately prepared for hospitalization, and who had an acute rather than chronic illness were prone to experience sick role conflict when hospitalized. Those subjects experiencing sick role conflict did not fully assume the sick role as defined by Parsons (1966). As a consequence of incomplete sick role assumption, an increased incidence of human responses such as guilt, powerlessness, anxiety, decreased self-esteem, depression, appetite change, and insomnia were reported. The researchers urge nurses to assume responsibility for diagnosing and treating sick role conflict, a human response to hospitalization commonly seen among patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Hypochondriasis and tendency to adopt the sick role as moderators of the relationship between life-events and somatic symptomatology.

The relationship between measures of hypochondriasis and the tendency to adopt a sick role, life-events and somatic symptomatology was explored. A sample of 85 married couples drawn from the community (n = 170) completed mailed questionnaires about the past year's events and symptoms and about hypochondriasis and sick-role tendency. Life-events were related to symptoms (r = 0.17) as were hypochondriasis, sick-role tendency, and subjects' sex (rs = 0.23, 0.16, 0.22, respectively). Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that hypochondriasis and sick-role tendency were also related to the association between events and symptoms, such that subjects with high scores on the former measures showed a reduced event-symptoms correlation compared with low and moderate scorers. Low scorers on hypochondriasis and sick-role tendency had a considerably stronger relationship between events and symptoms compared to those typically reported in the literature. It was suggested that hypochondriasis and sick-role tendency may be moderators of the life-event-symptom relationship and as such deserve more widespread use in life-events research.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

[The effect of patient teaching on compliance with sick role behavior of diabetic patients].

This study examined the effect of patient teaching on Compliance with sick role behavior in diabetic patients. The purpose was to improve diabetic patients Compliance by D.M. patient teaching. The study objectives were to determine the effect of patient teaching on Compliance with sick role behavior, and factors influencing compliance with sick role behavior of diabetic patients. The subjects, consisting of 52 diabetic patients diagnosed in the C. and other hospitals in K. city were divided into experimental and control groups. Data were gathered from July 25th to September 3rd, 1988 through interviews by questionnaires, measurement of blood sugar level by Reflux. D.M. Patient teaching was defined as informational intervention of social support by the nurse. A booklet representing patient education and questionnaires were developed by the investigator, and were tested for Content validity, and reliability by Item Analysis: Cronbachs alpha for any instrument to measure variables was patient Compliance .83, perceived health belief .65, diabetic knowledge .70. Analysis of data were done by paired t-test, t-test, Anova, Pearson correlation, and Stepwise multiple regression. The results of the study may be summarized as follows: 1. The effect of patient teaching on Compliance with sick role behavior, on diabetic Knowledge and health belief was Confirmed by significant differences between the experimental and the control group before and after the experiments. (P = 000 P = 006, P = 004).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diabetes Mellitus↗
PubMed2002

Culture, the 'sick role' and the consumption of health.

This paper revisits Parsons's conception of the 'sick role' and examines the relevance of his writings on the cultural understanding of sickness to the consumption of health in the contemporary era. In terms of current developments, I focus on the development of pro-active approaches towards the healthy body, and the growth of 'information rich' consumers of health care. These have become prominent themes in sociology, and while Parsons's writings are usually viewed as anachronistic I argue they remain highly pertinent to understanding the emergence of informed, body conscious lay people. If Parsons's analysis of health is more relevant to current circumstances than many critics assume, however, it is not unproblematic. The residual categories associated with the sick role obscure the continued utility of his work on the general cultural values informing health care. It is Parsons's analysis of these values, I suggest, that needs rescuing from restricted understandings of the sick role and highlighting as an important resource for contemporary theorists.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1995

Relinquishing the sick role: convalescence and rehabilitation.

This paper examines the problems of patients who have been considered by their doctors to have received adequate rehabilitation and to be ready to relinquish the sick role. The sick role is discussed in its historical context and convalescence and rehabilitation are considered as alternative approaches to medical and nursing care. It is argued that many patients leaving hospital are frightened because they do not feel well and they will receive little if any follow-up or support after discharge. It is the author's belief that many patients need to convalesce because the very essence of their being is still ill.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1990

[Predictors of sick role behavior in patients receiving radiotherapy for cancer].

Cancer is still a threat to human beings. The incidence and mortality rate of cancer have been gradually increasing as the life span has been lengthened. Radiotherapy is one of the most commonly used treatments for cancer. This study explored the influence of social support and stress on sick role behavior of patients receiving radiotherapy for cancer. The subjects for this study were 60 patients undergoing radiotherapy for cancer, selected from the radiotherapy treatment unit of the out patient departments of two major medical centers in Jeonju. Data were collected from February 1 to 28, 1990 by a Likert Scale Questionnaire and an interview schedule designed by the investigator. Data analysis included percentages, mean and standard deviation, t or F-test, Pearson Correlation Coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. Results included the following: 1. Support came primarily from sons and daughters (90.1%); the type of support was primarily emotional support from friends (60.0%); informational support came from health personnel (81.7%); and material support was sons and daughters (40.0%); satisfaction with support was highest for the spouse (4.02 +/- .52). 2. Among the patient's demographic status was occupation the was the only socioeconomic characteristic influencing sick role behavior (F = 2.91, p = .029). 3. Directly previewed support was positively correlated with sick role behavior (r = .2374, p = .034). 4. Stepwise multiple regression was used to determine the predictors of sick role behavior. Directly perceived support was the most significant predictor accounting for the highest contribution to sick role behavior (5.6%). Directly perceived support, socioeconomic status, perceived stress and indirectly perceived support variables together, accounted for only 6.8% of sick role behavior.

Family↗
PubMed1990

[Health belief model and sick role behavior of Korean chronically ill patients].

This article reviewed & analyzed 33 studies of the Health Belief Model applied to korean chronic ill patients which were published from 1975 to 1990. The findings of analysis are as follows. The subjects of researchs are patients with various chronic illness including Pulmonary Tb., DM., Hemodialysis & Kidney Transplantation, Hypertension, etc. The type of research is retrospective survey in all studies. The measurement of health belief in all studies & sick role behavior in most studies have relied on self report. The analysis of the relationship between health belief and sick role behavior was done using correlation coefficient in most studies. To analyze empirical support for the relationship between health belief and sick role behavior, Significance ratio was computed. This ratio is value wherein the number of statistically significant findings with relationship in the expected direction for an HBM dimension are divided by total number of studies which reported significance levels for that dimension. Examination of this ratio across the 33 studies reveals susceptibility (30.3%), severity (34.4%), benefit (65.6%), barrier (50%). The following suggestions are based on the above findings and literature review. 1. It is necessary to develop the reliable, valid and standardized instrument for measurement of health beliefs. 2. In the further measurement of perceived susceptibility of the chronic ill patients. It is considering that the perceived susceptibility and perceived severity are measured together or the measurement of perceived susceptibility is eliminated. 3. Relationship between perceived severity and sick role behavior is suggested to be analized using ANOVA, chi 2 square instead of correlation coefficient. 4. Sick role behaviors should be measured by both self report and objective measurement. 5. Prospective, longitudinal survey should be needed. 6. Other factors influencing sick role behaviors of chronic ill patients should be investigated further.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1999

Beyond the sick role: situating community health nursing practice.

This grounded theory research into the role of the community health nurse in Australia identified that moving from the comfort and structure of an institutional setting to the client's turf results in profound changes to the purpose of nursing practice. Data were collected from 17 'excellent' community health nurses practising in a range of community health settings in three states of Australia. Data included transcripts from in-depth interviews, questionnaires, group discussions with participants, job descriptions, agency documentation, professional organisation documentation and focus groups. Data were analysed using constant comparative techniques. In community health nursing practice, the client's role changes from a sick role to a well role and there is a shift in responsibility for outcomes from the nurse to the client. The central purpose of the community health nursing role is to facilitate Situated Health Competence, which the client achieves within the context of going about their everyday life, including work, recreation, relationships and role responsibilities. Situated Health Competence requires families, groups and communities to address their own illnesses, health problems, health issues and health behaviours; have enough knowledge and power to make their own decisions; question matters that impact on their health; and seek out and access appropriate health resources on an ongoing basis. The findings of this study make the intangible motivations of the community health nurse more explicit. The aim of facilitating Situated Health Competence results in an expanded view of the boundaries of nursing practice. The traditional foci of nursing practice are still present, but are incorporated within a broader 'situated' role.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The elderly sick role: an experimental analysis.

This experiment sought to determine whether young people ascribe different sick-role expectations to the elderly than to the middle-aged. The study also examined whether such expectations are a function of age per se or of work status. The experiment was a two X two factorial design employing two levels of age and two levels of work status. Sick-role expectations were elicited by the use of vignettes in which illness characteristics and background information were identical, but age and work status were varied. Results partially support the contention that the young ascribe an elderly sick role. Respondents were more likely to expect an old, rather than a middle-aged man, not to recover. However, respondents were also more likely to expect reduction in role obligations when the man was retired than when he was employed, regardless of age.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Chronic back pain sufferers--striving for the sick role.

The paper draws on data from a Norwegian online discussion list for back pain sufferers and from open, in-depth interviews with Norwegian back pain sufferers. In both sources, back pain sufferers express a fear that the reality of their pain is being questioned. The paper discusses how these experiences of delegitimation can be understood as a result of the back pain sufferers' inability to achieve the sick role. Many of these individuals strive and frequently fail to achieve clinical and social characteristics that make up appropriate sickness behaviour. A lack of proof that they are sick, including a lack of medical diagnosis, appropriate health care treatment, and visible disabilities, can lead to accusations, both felt and enacted, of malingering, hypochondria and/or mental illness. This in turn can lead to problems in the achievement and/or legitimisation of sick role benefits such as sick leave and medication. The sick role concept has been criticised as being inappropriate for describing the experiences of the chronically ill. The paper argues that the sick role concept still appears to reflect the expectations of health professionals, the public and the patient himself. The study does not support the view that chronic illness is related to a decreased dependency on the medical profession. Instead, doctors' inability to offer chronic back pain sufferers a clear diagnosis, explanation, and/or a course of treatment or cure appears not to liberate the patient but rather prolongs his or her dependence on the doctor.

Adaptation, Psychological↗