Illness perceptions in patients with peripheral arterial disease: A systematic review of qualitative studies

摘要

Background: Patients with chronic diseases create their own subjective beliefs about their conditions based on their illness perceptions. In the common-sense model, illness perceptions constitute personal beliefs about illness with regard to five components: identity, timeline, cause, control/cure, and conse-quences. Patients' illness perceptions affect both their management of their disease and their adherence to treatment. Since patients with peripheral arterial disease need life-long treatment for secondary pre-vention, generating knowledge about illness perceptions in patients with peripheral arterial disease is essential.