Abstract
Aim:
To explore the impact of living with advanced chronic respiratory illness in a rural area
Methods:
Using an interpretive descriptive approach, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven people living with advanced chronic respiratory illness in a rural area of Western Canada.
Results:
Themes that characterised the experience of living in a rural setting with a chronic obstructive respiratory illness included: a) distance as a barrier to accessing health care; b) relationships with family practice physicians; c) supportive local community; and d) lack of respiratory education and peer support.
Conclusions:
Whilst living with advanced respiratory illness in a rural area posed some significant challenges, experiences of “place”, conceptualised as a web of relationships embedded within a local context, are an important factor in rural residents' decisions to remain in situations where distance may present significant challenges to accessing health care.
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Goodridge, D., Hutchinson, S., Wilson, D. et al. Living in a rural area with advanced chronic respiratory illness: a qualitative study. Prim Care Respir J 20, 54–58 (2011). https://doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2010.00062
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.4104/pcrj.2010.00062