Conference Proceedings - School of Nursing & Midwifery - Trinity ...

School of Nursing & Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin: 8 th Annual Interdisciplinary Research Conference
Transforming Healthcare Through Research, Education & Technology: 7 th – 9 th November 2007
Conference Proceedings
social, and spiritual well-being using a number of scales including
the Network Assessment Instrument, the Modified Edmonton
Symptom Assessment Scale, the Palliative Care Dignity Inventory,
the Structured Interview Assessment of Symptoms and Concerns in
Palliative Care, the Mini Mental Status Examination, and the
Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy Spiritual Wellbeing
Scale.
Selection of Sample
Two cohorts of individuals aged 65 years or over are included in the
study:
A) Older people in long-term care
B) Older people in receipt of palliative care as an outpatient or as
an inpatient
Analysis
Data analysis was undertaken using the constant comparative
method of grounded theory. This method involves the researcher
identifying similar and deviant elements and grouping them
together around a theme for comparison. Data from the interview
transcripts was managed using the computer package NVivo, which
allowed a large data set to be managed and ensured that a clear
decision trail was authenticated from the data.
Outcomes
This paper outlines preliminary qualitative findings of work in
progress. Themes representing older people, in particular reference
to dignity and respect, provide important evidence concerning older
people’s perspectives on their quality of life.
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