Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature
Objective: Breathlessness is one of the core symptoms in many advanced conditions. The subjective nature of the symptom has been acknowledged in many definitions, emphasizing that it can only be fully perceived and interpreted by the patients themselves. Aim: To review and assess the evidence on the...
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Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2007
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1478951507000454 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1478951507000454 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s1478951507000454 2024-04-07T07:53:35+00:00 Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature Gysels, Marjolein Bausewein, Claudia Higginson, Irene J. 2007 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1478951507000454 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1478951507000454 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Palliative and Supportive Care volume 5, issue 3, page 281-302 ISSN 1478-9515 1478-9523 Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology General Medicine General Nursing journal-article 2007 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951507000454 2024-03-08T00:34:24Z Objective: Breathlessness is one of the core symptoms in many advanced conditions. The subjective nature of the symptom has been acknowledged in many definitions, emphasizing that it can only be fully perceived and interpreted by the patients themselves. Aim: To review and assess the evidence on the psychosocial nature or experience of breathlessness. Methods: Relevant literature was identified through electronic and hand searches. Studies with qualitative enquiry or mixed method designs were included. The methodological quality of studies was assessed with a standard grading scale. Results: Twenty-two studies were identified, 12 from the United Kingdom, 4 from the United States, 3 from Canada, 1 from Sweden, 1 from Iceland, and 1 from Finland. The nature of the studies determined the themes in which the studies were subsumed. Studies on COPD (19) outnumbered “all other conditions” (3), one of which had COPD and cancer patients and so these were analyzed separately. Within the COPD category most studies (17) considered the experience of breathlessness from the perspective of the patient, 1 study from the informal carer, and 1 from the professional carer. Most of the papers sought to understand the meaning of the symptom in the patient's daily life. The other papers demarcated separate areas of the experience of acute exacerbations and the patient's view on care. The studies explored the subjective component of breathlessness, as part of human experience and social life. The papers showed the influence of the meaning the symptom has for those affected on their ability to cope and on their management. Significance of results: Although the work in this area is still dominated by research on COPD, the totality of the evidence now shows breathlessness as an intractable symptom in other advanced conditions. Practice recommendations focused on the holistic approach as part of palliative and nursing care. Article in Journal/Newspaper Iceland Cambridge University Press Canada Palliative and Supportive Care 5 3 281 302 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology General Medicine General Nursing |
spellingShingle |
Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology General Medicine General Nursing Gysels, Marjolein Bausewein, Claudia Higginson, Irene J. Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
topic_facet |
Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology General Medicine General Nursing |
description |
Objective: Breathlessness is one of the core symptoms in many advanced conditions. The subjective nature of the symptom has been acknowledged in many definitions, emphasizing that it can only be fully perceived and interpreted by the patients themselves. Aim: To review and assess the evidence on the psychosocial nature or experience of breathlessness. Methods: Relevant literature was identified through electronic and hand searches. Studies with qualitative enquiry or mixed method designs were included. The methodological quality of studies was assessed with a standard grading scale. Results: Twenty-two studies were identified, 12 from the United Kingdom, 4 from the United States, 3 from Canada, 1 from Sweden, 1 from Iceland, and 1 from Finland. The nature of the studies determined the themes in which the studies were subsumed. Studies on COPD (19) outnumbered “all other conditions” (3), one of which had COPD and cancer patients and so these were analyzed separately. Within the COPD category most studies (17) considered the experience of breathlessness from the perspective of the patient, 1 study from the informal carer, and 1 from the professional carer. Most of the papers sought to understand the meaning of the symptom in the patient's daily life. The other papers demarcated separate areas of the experience of acute exacerbations and the patient's view on care. The studies explored the subjective component of breathlessness, as part of human experience and social life. The papers showed the influence of the meaning the symptom has for those affected on their ability to cope and on their management. Significance of results: Although the work in this area is still dominated by research on COPD, the totality of the evidence now shows breathlessness as an intractable symptom in other advanced conditions. Practice recommendations focused on the holistic approach as part of palliative and nursing care. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gysels, Marjolein Bausewein, Claudia Higginson, Irene J. |
author_facet |
Gysels, Marjolein Bausewein, Claudia Higginson, Irene J. |
author_sort |
Gysels, Marjolein |
title |
Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
title_short |
Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
title_full |
Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
title_fullStr |
Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
title_full_unstemmed |
Experiences of breathlessness: A systematic review of the qualitative literature |
title_sort |
experiences of breathlessness: a systematic review of the qualitative literature |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2007 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1478951507000454 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1478951507000454 |
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Canada |
geographic_facet |
Canada |
genre |
Iceland |
genre_facet |
Iceland |
op_source |
Palliative and Supportive Care volume 5, issue 3, page 281-302 ISSN 1478-9515 1478-9523 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1478951507000454 |
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Palliative and Supportive Care |
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5 |
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3 |
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281 |
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302 |
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