title: What is important in rehabilitation for persons with epilepsy? Experiences from focus group interviews with patients and staff.
abstract: This study aimed to identify the issues experienced as essential in rehabilitation for persons with epilepsy. Six focus group interviews were conducted, five groups with patients that had completed comprehensive rehabilitation for persons with epilepsy, in a day-care setting, at the Neurological Rehabilitation Clinic at Stora Sköndal Hospital, between 2006 and 2009 (total n=17) and one group with staff members (n=5). Using content analysis, two themes emerged: life with epilepsy and rehabilitation experiences. The result emphasizes that rehabilitation for persons with epilepsy should be designed individually, in structure and in content. Encounters between patients were important, as well as the team's attitude in meeting with the patients. Therapeutic working alliance is essential between patients and staff for creating an individual rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. ewa.wadhagen-wedlund@ki.se
authors.forename: Ewa Wadhagen
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Wedlund
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Torbjörn
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tomson
authors.forename: Anette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Erdner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Adults; Content analysis; Epilepsy; Focus groups; Patients' experiences; Rehabilitation