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Research Article
Perceptions of Disease State Management Among Pakistani
Hypertensive Patients: Findings from a Focus Group
Discussion
F Saleem1,
MA Hassali1*, AA Shafie1, S Bashir2
and M Atif3
1Discipline
of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia, 2Faculty of
Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan,
3Discipline of Clinical Pharmacy, School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia,
11800 Minden, Penang, Malaysia
For correspondence:
E-mail:
azmihassali@usm.my
Tel: +604-6534085; Fax: +604-6570017
Received: 1 June
2011 Revised
accepted: 14 November, 2011
Tropical
Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, December 2011;
10(6): 833-840
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v10i6.18
Abstract
Purpose:
To explore the
perceptions of disease state management among Pakistani
hypertensive patients.
Methods:
A focus group
discussion was conducted with 19 hypertensive patients
in order to obtain an insight into their self-management
practices. The study was conducted in Sandeman
Provincial Hospital,
Quetta, Pakistan.
Results:
Analysis of the
focus group discussion yielded four major themes: (1)
effect of hypertension on patients’ physical, mental and
social states; (2) involvement in self-management; (3)
factors contributing to self-management; and (4)
perception of patients towards antihypertensive agents.
A majority of the patients admitted that they were
involved in self-management of hypertension but their
management strategies were influenced by social sources
- peer or family - with very little information received
from health care professionals. Exercise of
self-management was strongly linked to the philosophy of
the patients regarding nature of drug, as well as
comparative advantages and disadvantages. Patients also
expressed reservations about continuous drug usage for
the management of chronic illnesses.
Conclusion:
Patients suffering from chronic diseases such as
hypertension tend to make individual and personal
decisions about managing their illnesses. Patients seem
to be more influenced by peers, family members and
people with the disease condition, and thus try to
manage their condition based on advice received from
them. In addition, their philosophy of medication use
and hypertension (being a chronic disease) prompts them
to focus more on self-management practices.
Keywords:
Self-management, Focus group, Hypertension, Perception. |
