Improving self-management for persons with Parkinson's disease through education focusing on management of daily life: patients' and relatives' experience of the Swedish National Parkinson School.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVE: The two folded aim of this study was firstly to identify and describe experiences valuable for managing daily life after participation in the NPS self-management intervention. The second part was to explore the applicability of the Self- and family management framework by Grey and colleagues for persons with Parkinson's Disease and their relatives.

BACKGROUND: The impact of PD is evident on the lives of both patients and relatives. The National Parkinson School (NPS) is a Swedish self-management program designed for patients and relatives, aiming at teaching strategies helpful for the ability of self-management, in order to promote life satisfaction.

DESIGN: Qualitative explorative with inductive and deductive analysis.

METHODS: Five group discussions with NPS participants were audio-recorded. Verbatim transcriptions were analysed inductively with thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke, and the findings were then applied deductively to the existing model for patients with chronic disease.

RESULTS: Through the first step of inductive analysis three themes capturing the meaning, value and experience of being a participant at the NPS were identified: Exchanging experiences and feeling support, Adjustment and acceptance of PD for managing daily life, and Promoting life satisfaction. The deductive analysis applied the inductive findings to the Self-and family management framework of chronically ill to explore the fit to persons with PD and relatives attending the NPS program.

CONCLUSIONS: The NPS program is a promising approach for helping persons with PD and their relatives to achieve better self-management of disease and improved life satisfaction. Further evaluations of program outcomes in clinical practice are warranted.

RELEVANCE OF CLINICAL PRACTICE: Self-management programs like the NPS is a promising approach in facilitating a positive mind-set and outlook on life and gain knowledge to understand, adapt and handle chronic disease, such as PD, better. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.