Satisfaction with communicative participation as defined by adults with multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined satisfaction with communicative participation as reported by adults with multiple sclerosis (MS).


METHODS
Eight community-dwelling adults with MS participated in semi-structured interviews. They were asked to discuss their satisfaction with their communication in a variety of situations. Interviews were analyzed using a constant comparative method of qualitative description.


RESULTS
Themes derived included: Comfort, consisting of Ease and Confidence; Success of the Outcome, including Function is Achieved and A Connection is Made; and Personal Meaning of Participation, including Personal Preferences, Comparison with the Past, and Thinking about One's Own Communication.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants described multiple facets of satisfaction with communicative participation. Some of the dimensions were similar to those in existing assessment instruments such as levels of ease or difficulty with performance. Participants did not talk about frequency of activities as a key part of their satisfaction. Implications for identifying intervention targets and treatment outcome measurements are provided.


OBJECTIVE
The reader should be able to: 1) define communicative participation and identify key elements of this construct; 2) identify the issues that were most relevant to satisfaction with communicative participation with participants with MS; and 3) identify reasons for greater emphasis on the subjective viewpoint of people with communication disorders in measurement of treatment outcomes.
Yorkston
Kathryn M
KM
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 356490, Seattle, WA 98195-6490, USA. yorkston@u.washington.edu
Baylor
Carolyn R
CR
Klasner
Estelle R
ER
Deitz
Jean
J
Dudgeon
Brian J
BJ
Eadie
Tanya
T
Miller
Robert M
RM
Amtmann
Dagmar
D
D000328:Adult; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D012803:Sick Role; D013065:Speech Intelligibility