A critical exploration of the individual quality of life of adult home mechanically ventilated patients.

Jones, Anna ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0742-8945 2019. A critical exploration of the individual quality of life of adult home mechanically ventilated patients. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

Preview	PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version Download (2MB) | Preview
	PDF - Supplemental Material Restricted to Repository staff only Download (139kB)

Abstract

This thesis joins wider social sciences discourses about disability and quality of life, focusing on individuals who are mechanically ventilated in their own homes. It is about the struggle of Home Mechanically Ventilated (HMV) individuals in living a normal life. Using a qualitative approach to explore the relationship between HMV and the individual’s perceived Quality of Life (iQoL), discourses around iQoL were analysed to identify the impact of, practices used to promote and enabling and disabling factors of iQoL. In Wales, seven participants, via semi-structured interviews, shared their views. Fairclough’s (2015) Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework was adapted. This enabled exploration of how discourse is shaped by micro situations, meso level institutions and macro structures, and, conversely, how discourse shapes these factors. The findings reveal individualised struggles, hidden conflicts and discourses. The text reveals the discourses of Being Normal and Seeking Independence. Interpretation and explanation of the findings are considered against the political rhetoric and policy surrounding the expansion of care within the community and closer to home. Such political drivers aim to provide increased independence and control over individual circumstances. However, the findings reveal a different reality. The HMV population’s reliance on technical equipment and personnel to support and sustain life undermines independence, whilst tacitly accepting interdependence. This thesis exposes the discourses surrounding policies on integrated care and how the social theory of disability can be applied to HMV individuals. It provides evidence to guide healthcare policy and care provision, adding to the limited UK evidence on the iQoL of HMV individuals. It proposes exploration of the impact of attitudes towards HMV individuals, the psychological issues such individuals face, and the experiences of carers, service providers and commissioners, to provide a clearer picture of what affects the quality of life of HMV individuals across the UK.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Submission
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Healthcare Sciences
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	7 June 2019
Last Modified:	04 Nov 2022 12:28
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/123255

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item