Development of Clinical Vignettes to Describe Alzheimer's Disease Health States: A Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT:

Aims

To develop clinical descriptions (vignettes) of life with Alzheimer's disease (AD), we conducted focus groups of persons with AD (n = 14), family caregivers of persons with AD (n = 20), and clinicians who see persons with AD in their practices (n = 5).

Methods

Group participants read existing descriptions of AD and commented on the realism and comprehensibility of the descriptions. We used thematic framework analysis to code the comments into themes and develop three new vignettes to describe mild, moderate, and severe AD.

Results

Themes included the types of symptoms to mention in the new vignettes, plus the manner in which the vignettes should be written. Since the vignette descriptions were based on focus group participants' first-hand knowledge of AD, the des

SUBMITTER: Oremus M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5010212 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature