title: The use of focus groups to characterize symptoms in persons with multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Multiple sclerosis is a chronic neurological disease with a myriad of symptoms. Because most work has been quantitative, it is important to capture symptoms as described by patients who experience them, using a qualitative approach. The purpose of our study was to describe and identify symptoms, with emphasis on co-occurrence, using focus groups. Three focus groups were conducted (N = 16) with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. Common symptoms, described as both singular and co-occurring, were problems with balance, cognition, vision, and heat intolerance. These findings augment past characterizations of symptoms experienced in persons with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and provide evidence for future studies.
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research, USA. pnewlan@siue.edu
authors.forename: Pamela K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Newland
authors.forename: Florian P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Marguerite
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riley
authors.forename: Louise H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Flick
authors.forename: Arleen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fearing
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D018450:Disease Progression; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000150:complications / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult