A Grounded Theory Approach of the Treatment Pattern of Patients with Arthritis

관절염 환자의 치료추구행위에 대한 근거이론적 접근

The purpose of this study is to explore the treatment pattern of treatment of patients with arthritis. The grounded theory approach methodology was used in this study. The purposive sampling was conducted. 16 subjects who experienced RA, lived in middle sized city in Korea, and all women The results of this study were as follows : 1. The process of treatment was composed of the stage of symptom experience and the stage of sick role experience. The naming of the symptom was conducted in the stage of symptom experience through, the doctor shopping. The sick role experience was patterned by the choice of the treatment mode. 2. The treatment modes were roughly devided by western medicine and oriental or ethnic medicine. Several factors which affected the choice of the treatment mode were patient's economic state, educational level, religion, the acknowledgement of the cause of illness, duration of illness, lay referral system, the relationship of medical staff, and the acculturation of medical professionalism. The key component of the decision of the treatment was the level of the acculturation of medical professionalism. To enhance the acculturation of medical professionalism, we have to provide the information of cause and the prognosis of the disease to the patients and the variety of communication channel between medical staff and patients, and we should understand the medical culture according to the ages, gender, locations in Korea.