Kim Van Wissen

Citation

Thesis Title
Living with acute coronary syndrome and prediabetes: An interpretive description of complex illness

Read article at Massey Research Online:

Little research has been undertaken to focus on the patients'' voice for those with multiple diagnoses, revealing the experience and interpretation people have of cardiovascular disease and prediabetes as complex illness  Key findings from Ms van Wissen''sresearch are, 1) complex illness is heterogeneous and patient needs are thus diverse, 2) participants were continually making sense of the inconspicuous and conspicuous detail of complex illness, 3) participants lived with their choices of lifestyle rather than perceived medicalised risk, 4) participants made significant efforts to succeed at self-care to minimise or avert complex illness, more so if long term health professional support for self-care was available.  This research confirmed that recognising peoples unique health needs requires intelligent and personalised sustained health care.

Supervisors
Associate Professor Rachel Page
Dr Karen McBride-Henry
Dr Michelle Thunders