Is ‘persistent postural perceptual dizziness’ a helpful diagnostic label? A qualitative exploratory study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
David Herdman ◽  
Anna Evetovits ◽  
Harry Donkin Everton ◽  
Louisa Murdin

BACKGROUND: Persistent Postural Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a recently defined functional syndrome. In other functional disorders there has been concern that the label itself can have negative effects, but research on patient views of PPPD is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To understand patient views of the PPPD label METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 people with PPPD and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Four themes were identified. Theme 1 reflects reassurance and validation received through a ‘label’. Theme 2 reflects re-evaluation of illness-beliefs, with the diagnosis giving greater perception of control but also perception of having serious consequences. Theme 3 reflects difficulty understanding terminology. Participants rarely understood “persistent”, “perceptual” and “postural”. They did not tend to use the term “PPPD” to others or themselves. Some interpreted “persistent” as meaning “poor prognosis”. Theme 4 reflects lack of psychological attribution, since participants normalised the experience of distress, but did not view this as part of PPPD. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the relevance of PPPD beyond simply classification. However patients found the components of the term itself confusing and did not tend to adopt it when relating their condition to others or themselves. Simplifying the nomenclature could facilitate shared understanding and management, even potentially influencing outcome.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter C. Barnhoorn ◽  
Vera Nierkens ◽  
Marianne C. Mak-van der Vossen ◽  
Mattijs E. Numans ◽  
Walther N. K. A. van Mook ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Lapses in professionalism have profound negative effects on patients, health professionals, and society. The connection between unprofessional behaviour during training and later practice requires timely identification and remediation. However, appropriate language to describe unprofessional behaviour and its remediation during residency is lacking. Therefore, this exploratory study aims to investigate which behaviours of GP residents are considered unprofessional according to supervisors and faculty, and how remediation is applied. Methods We conducted eight semi-structured focus group interviews with 55 broadly selected supervisors from four Dutch GP training institutes. In addition, we conducted individual semi-structured interviews with eight designated professionalism faculty members. Interview recordings were transcribed verbatim. Data were coded in two consecutive steps: preliminary inductive coding was followed by secondary deductive coding using the descriptors from the recently developed ‘Four I’s’ model for describing unprofessional behaviours as sensitising concepts. Results Despite the differences in participants’ professional positions, we identified a shared conceptualisation in pinpointing and assessing unprofessional behaviour. Both groups described multiple unprofessional behaviours, which could be successfully mapped to the descriptors and categories of the Four I’s model. Behaviours in the categories ‘Involvement’ and ‘Interaction’ were assessed as mild and received informal, pedagogical feedback. Behaviours in the categories ‘Introspection’ and ‘Integrity’, were seen as very alarming and received strict remediation. We identified two new groups of behaviours; ‘Nervous exhaustion complaints’ and ‘Nine-to-five mentality’, needing to be added to the Four I’s model. The diagnostic phase of unprofessional behaviour usually started with the supervisor getting a ‘sense of alarm’, which was described as either a ‘gut feeling’, ‘a loss of enthusiasm for teaching’ or ‘fuss surrounding the resident’. This sense of alarm triggered the remediation phase. However, the diagnostic and remediation phases did not appear consecutive or distinct, but rather intertwined. Conclusions The processes of identification and remediation of unprofessional behaviour in residents appeared to be intertwined. Identification of behaviours related to lack of introspection or integrity were perceived as the most important to remediate. The results of this research provide supervisors and faculty with an appropriate language to describe unprofessional behaviours among residents, which can facilitate timely identification and remediation.


Author(s):  
Zeyang Yang ◽  
Mark Griffiths ◽  
Zhihao Yan ◽  
Wenting Xu

Watching online videos (including short-form videos) has become the most popular leisure activity in China. However, a few studies have reported the potential negative effects of online video watching behaviors (including the potential for ‘addiction’) among a minority of individuals. The present study investigated online video watching behaviors, motivational factors for watching online videos, and potentially addictive indicators of watching online videos. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 20 young Chinese adults. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Eight themes were identified comprising: (i) content is key; (ii) types of online video watching; (iii) platform function hooks; (iv) personal interests; (v) watching becoming habitual; (vi) social interaction needs; (vii) reassurance needs; and (viii) addiction-like symptoms. Specific video content (e.g., mukbang, pornography), platform-driven continuous watching, and short-form videos were perceived by some participants as being potentially addictive. Specific features or content on Chinese online video platforms (e.g., ‘Danmu’ scrolling comments) need further investigation. Future studies should explore users’ addictive-like behaviors in relation to specific types of online video content and their social interaction on these platforms.


Ethnicities ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 146879682110018
Author(s):  
Sheymaa Ali Nurein ◽  
Humera Iqbal

Young Black Muslim Women (BMW) have complex, intersectional identities and exist at the margins of various identity groupings. Given this, members of the community can face societal relegation across, not only race and gender lines, but across religious ones, too. This paper explores the lived experiences of intragroup discrimination, identity and belonging in 11 young Black Muslim Women in the United Kingdom. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and thematically analysed through the lens of intersectionality. The use of an intersectional framework facilitated an understanding of the manner in which the sample was multiply marginalised. Two key themes emerged from the interviews: firstly, around experiences of intragroup and intersectional discrimination and, secondly, around the challenges of responding to and coping with the negative effects of such discrimination. Participants discussed the cross-cutting nature through which they faced discrimination: from within the Black community; from within the Muslim community; and as a result of their gender. The non-exclusivity of these three identities result in constant encounters of discrimination along different dimensions to their personal identity. They also developed diverse means of coping with this marginalisation including drawing from religious beliefs and mobile identifications, i.e. performing different aspects of their identities in different contexts. The present study contributes to existing knowledge in its focus on an under-researched group and emphasises the negative effects of intragroup discrimination. The paper importantly highlights the diversity within the Black community and considers the (in)visibility of Black Muslim Women within society.


Author(s):  
Jovita Tan ◽  
Karl Andriessen

Background: Experiencing the death of a close person, especially in emerging adults and students, can have profound effects on the bereaved individual’s life. As most research in this field has focused on negative effects of a loss, little is known about potential positive effects experienced by bereaved university students. This study investigated the experience of grief and personal growth in a sample of students from The University of Melbourne, Australia. Methods: Semi-structured interviews via Zoom/telephone with bereaved students (n = 14), who were invited to reflect on their loss and any personal growth potentially experienced. Thematic analysis of the data was based on a deductive and inductive approach. Results: The analysis identified four themes: (i) sharing of grief as a coping mechanism, (ii) balance between grief reactions and moving forward in life, (iii) lessons learned and personal growth, and (iv) adopting values from the deceased person and continuing bonds. Conclusions: Participants emphasized personal growth regarding self-perception and philosophical views on life. Following the loss, they preferred peer support, and used formal services only when they had a specific need. The findings indicate the importance of social support for bereaved students, and the complimentary role of peer and professional support. Hence, academic institutions should offer supportive services tailored to both students and professionals to help bereaved students.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Russell Merz ◽  
Jamie Ward ◽  
Sufian Qrunfleh ◽  
Bud Gibson

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the role and characteristics of the summer internship program (Digital Summer Clinic) delivered by Eastern Michigan University. The authors report the results of an exploratory study of interns participating in the Digital Summer Clinic over a five-year time period. The study captures and analyzes the experiences of interns as expressed in structured interviews and blog posts.Design/methodology/approachThe study data were text from structured interviews and blog posts capturing the “voice” of the interns. A natural language processing (NLP) analysis of the text corpus, consisting of 43 interviews and blog posts, resulted in the identification of 242 unique stem-terms used by interns in describing the internship experiences. The authors used the JMP Pro 15.2 Text Explorer algorithm (It is defined as a suite of computer programs for statistical analysis developed by the JMP business unit of SAS Institute) to extract the terms that were subsequently transformed and analyzed with factor analysis and regression to address the research questions.FindingsThe factor analysis results found six dimensions or themes, defined by the stem-terms used by student interns, best described the internship experience. The authors then explored the relationship between the six themes and the umbrella term “internship” with multiple regression analysis. The regression findings suggest a hierarchy of effects with the theme “Introducing Professional Opportunities” being the theme most predictive of the umbrella term.Originality/valueThe methodology used within the paper is unique in several ways when compared to other research investigating internship programs. First, it uses NLP analysis for the qualitative analysis of text-based descriptions of student experiences over a five-year time horizon. Second, the data analysis uses transformed text to quantitatively determine the major dimensions or themes expressed by the interns about their experiences in the Summer Clinic program. Finally, the relative importance of the themes identified provided direction for future program development.


1970 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Beeli-Zimmermann

Beliefs guide teachers’ actions in the classroom and thereby influence what students learn. While this insight has led to numerous studies, particularly in the area of mathematical beliefs, it has been neglected in the growing field of numeracy teaching and learning within adult education. This exploratory study presents five illustrative cases of Swiss adult education teachers and traces their experiences, both as students and teachers. Based on data mainly collected in semi-structured interviews, the author argues that this study supports existing evidence from mathematical belief research in other sectors of education, pointing to the relevance of practice-based experiences for the change of beliefs.


2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Friderike Schmidt Von Wûhlisch ◽  
Michelle Pascoe

Limited research has been carried out in the field of speech-language pathology with regard to ways of maximising health literacy and client recall. However, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) frequently provide vast amounts of information that clients need to understand, apply and review in order to manage their (or their child’s) health. This exploratory study aimed to contribute information about ways in which SLPs can overcome low health literacy and poor client recall so that treatment effectiveness is improved. A case-study design was used with specific focus on four clients receiving treatment for dysphagia, voice disorders (including laryngectomies) and cleft lip and/or palate management in Cape Town. Strategies which may be able to maximise health literacy and client recall of clinical information were trialled and evaluated by clients and their SLPs, using semi-structured interviews. The researchers proposed a combination of high-tech strategies which assisted in all the cases. No single solution or universal tool was found that would be appropriate for all. There is a need to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the combined strategies across a wider population, at different stages of rehabilitation and in diverse contexts. Implications and suggestions for future related research are presented.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Ann Potter

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of fathers in the management of sleeping problems in children with autism and their perspectives of the impact of these difficulties on family life. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with 25 UK-based fathers of children with autism were undertaken. Findings Two-thirds of fathers reported that their children experienced severe sleeping problems in the areas of bed-time resistance, sleep onset and night-time waking. Fathers were significantly involved in the management of these difficulties and reported a range of associated deleterious impacts on the family, including significant negative effects on paternal and maternal health, father’s employment, couple relationship and sibling experiences. Research limitations/implications The interview sample cannot be said to be representative of all fathers of children with autism since the backgrounds of those taking part were relatively homogeneous in respect of ethnicity, marital status and level of education. Practical implications Improvements in effective, family-centred provision are urgently needed which employ a co-parenting, gender-differentiated methodology. Social implications Given the severity and frequency of difficulties, sleeping problems in children with autism should be viewed as a significant public health concern. Originality/value This is one of the first studies, qualitative or quantitative, to explore the role and perspectives of fathers of children with autism in the important area of sleep management.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-57
Author(s):  
Yeraldine Aldana Gutiérrez

The English language teaching (ELT) field has undergone transformations regarding its views on knowledge and language. Although instrumental perspectives situate English teachers in a passive, receptive and technical position, their research and pedagogical work displays an interest in extracurricular phenomena about Peace Construction (PC) in ELT. This qualitative exploratory study aimed at unveiling possible connections between PC and ELT in Colombia. Documental revision and semi-structured interviews were applied with 4 English teachers. Findings discuss an organic metaphor as facilitating “teachers’ situated knowledge construction” (Serna, 2018, p. 585). Thus, a critical reflection is developed on how ELT and PC may articulate one another towards an alternative reading on their possible relationality or the reduction of the canonical distance imagined between these two fields, in order to acknowledge their interconnection. Conclusions around the multifaceted transdisciplinary ELT field are presented.


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