What is the perception of the disease?
The disease perception questionnaire (IPQ) collects information about how the patient feels with regard to health. This can be useful for individual patient care where the patient's emotions can help the patient's providers to communicate more clearly and offer treatment. It is also used in studies and analysis to learn more about the populations of specific patients and how they perceive their diseases. For example, a researcher may find that patients with a particular condition are very believed to be treatable and short duration, which could be a problem if not. The first is identity, determining how the patient marks the disease and what the patient associates with. For example, someone with asthma can identify with this diagnosis and suggest that symptoms such as wheezing, cough and shortness of breath are part of the illness. Another problem is the perception of the cause of the patient; Asthma patient may believe that it is genetic, related to the environment or caused by something else, for example.
Scientists are also interested in how the patient perceives measures for control or treatment of the disease. A questionnaire of the disease may determine whether the patient thinks that the condition is curable or whether it is primarily focused on control. Patients with asthma might assume that they can grow from illness or solve it, for example, or that it is a chronic condition that will require continuous monitoring and treatment. This can feed directly into the fourth area of interest, the perception of the patient's illness.
Finally, the perception of the disease also focuses on the perceived consequences of the disease. People who believe that their conditions are treatable and short -term do not believe that serious consequences are a problem. Others with chronic diseases may consider long -term problems they may encounter. Asthma patient may be concerned about decreasing pulmonary function, increased risk of pulmonary infections and inability to exercise and engage in favorite activities.
understanding of the perception of the disease in specific patients' populations may be important for prevention, treatment and intervention as it provides information on general attitudes. In an individual case, the perception of the disease may help the provider to identify the specific areas where the patient may need education and information. Some may think that the condition is chronic unless it is, for example; In this case, the doctor must communicate more clearly to ensure assurance.