Quality of care, quality of life, and attitudes toward disabilities: perspectives from a qualitative focus group study in Porto Alegre, Brazil Calidad de atención, calidad de vida y actitudes hacia la discapacidad: perspectivas de un estudio cualitativo con grupos de discusión en Porto Alegre, Brasil

• Main Authors: Betina S. Mattevi, Juliana Bredemeier, Cláudia Fam, Marcelo P. Fleck
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Spanish; Portuguese
• Published: Pan American Health Organization 2012
• Subjects: Personas con discapacidad; calidad de vida; calidad de la atención de salud; actitud frente a la salud; grupos focales; investigación cualitativa; Brasil; Disabled persons; quality of life; quality of health care; attitude to health; focus groups; qualitative research; Brazil; Medicine; R; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Public aspects of medicine; RA1-1270; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/210a81364b7b443d9e18743785eed65f

OBJECTIVE: To explore the concepts of quality of life (QOL), quality of care (QOC), and attitudes toward disabilities in Porto Alegre, Brazil, from the perspective of people living with disabilities, including their relatives and caregivers. METHODS: This was a qualitative study that interviewed a total of 23 participants in five focus groups, during May-August 2006. After an open discussion about QOL, the WHOQOL-Bref, a generic questionnaire for the assessment of QOL, was presented to participants. The study was performed simultaneously in 15 international centers. Analysis was based on Bardin's content analysis. RESULTS: Regarding QOL, important themes that emerged were: work, education, leisure, universal accessibility, integration in the society, and social inclusion. Concerning QOC, professional qualifications, disabilities-related training for health and education professionals, and access to health services were considered important. Regarding attitudes toward disabilities, the participants perceived the attitudes of others, especially of caregivers, to significantly impact the QOL of people with disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: People living with disabilities value many of the same themes considered important by the general public; however, several additional themes specific to disabilities and specific to these groups of participants emerged. This information highlights the importance of taking into account the unique perceptions and cultural traits of the target population when measuring QOL, QOC, and attitudes toward disabilities. OBJETIVO: Explorar los conceptos de calidad de vida, calidad de atención y actitudes hacia la discapacidad en Porto Alegre, Brasil, desde la perspectiva de las personas con discapacidad, incluidos los familiares y cuidadores del individuo discapacitado. MÉTODOS: En este estudio cualitativo se entrevistaron 23 participantes en cinco grupos de discusión entre mayo y agosto del 2006. Después de un debate abierto acerca de la calidad de vida, se presentó el WHOQOL-Bref, un ...