"It's like a mirror image of my illness": Exploring Patient Perceptions About Illness Using Health Mind Mapping-a Qualitative Study.
BACKGROUND
A patient's self-management of chronic disease is influenced in part by their explanatory model of illness (EMI) and daily lived experiences (DLE). Unfortunately, assessing patient's EMI and using this information to engage patients in chronic illness self-management continues to be a challenge.


OBJECTIVE
"Health mind mapping" (HMM) is a novel process that captures a patient's EMI and DLE through the use of a graphic representation of ideas. We aimed to explore patient's experiences using HMM.


DESIGN
Qualitative study utilizing semi-structured interviews.


PARTICIPANTS
Adult patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes from a primary care clinic.


APPROACH
A facilitator guided 20 participants through the process of developing a health mind map. Subsequently, each participant completed a semi-structured interview about their experience with the process and perceptions about how their maps could be used. The process and interviews were video and audio recorded. We conducted a content analysis of the maps and a thematic analysis, using an inductive approach, of the interview data.


RESULTS
Participants explored a wide range of EMs and DLEs in their HMM process. Participants reported that the HMM process (1) helped to develop insight about self and illness; (2) was a catalyst for wanting to take actions to improve illness; and (3) represented an opportunity to actively share illness experiences. They reported potential uses of the map: (1) to communicate about their illness to others in their social network; (2) to communicate about their illness to providers; (3) to help others with diabetes manage their illness; and (4) to encourage ongoing engagement in diabetes self-care.


CONCLUSIONS
Participants reported that HMM helped them develop new insight about their illness and was a catalyst for encouraging them to take control of their illness. HMM has the potential to facilitate communication with providers and engage patients in collaborative goal setting to improve self-care in chronic illness.
['Buitron de la Vega|Pablo|P|', 'Coe|Christopher|C|', 'Paasche-Orlow|Michael K|MK|', 'Clark|Jack A|JA|', 'Waite|Katherine|K|', 'Sanchez|Maria Jose|MJ|', 'Armstrong|Emily|E|', 'Bokhour|Barbara G|BG|']
D000203:Activities of Daily Living D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D001296:Audiovisual Aids D002908:Chronic Disease D003142:Communication D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 D019468:Disease Management D005260:Female D015438:Health Behavior D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice D006801:Humans D007407:Interviews as Topic D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D010353:Patient Education as Topic D011320:Primary Health Care D036301:Qualitative Research D012648:Self Care
explanatory models of illness daily lived experiences health mind mapping diabetes