The Meaning of Cardiac Rehabilitation to Patients
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UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY The Meaning of Cardiac Rehabilitation to Patients by Sarah Sandham A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULLFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY CALGARY, ALBERTA JANUARY, 2012 © Sarah Sandham 2012 Library and Archives Biblioth&que et Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du IH Branch Patrimoine de l'6dition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Voire reference ISBN: 978-0-494-83410-7 Our file Notre rtttrence ISBN: 978-0494-83410-7 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant £ la Bibliothdque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduire, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, prSter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distrbute and sell theses monde, d des fins commercials ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non support microforme, papier, 6lectronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. 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Canada ABSTRACT In this thesis, I take an anthropological approach (using ethnographic methods) to explore the meaning of a cardiac rehabilitation program in Calgary, Alberta (Cardiac Wellness Institute of Calgary (CWIC)) to its patients. Cardiac rehabilitation programs are exercise-based secondary prevention for individuals suffering from a range of heart problems. Through education classes and supervised exercise sessions, such programs aim to improve heart patients' overall fitness, and promote lifestyle habits which can reduce risk of further disease. I examined how the meaning patients attribute to the program fits within two different theoretical conceptions of cardiac rehabilitation; as a site where power and surveillance discipine non-conforming (unhealthy) bodies, or as a site where medical practices constitute an ideal form of care. I demonstrate how the meaning patients attribute relates to the elements of their experience and the structure of the program which fall under an overarching "logic of care" (Mol 2008). ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my appreciation to the patients and staff members of the Cardiac Wellness Institute of Calgary who were so welcoming and helpful throughout my fieldwork, and for their willingness to participate in my research. Special thanks to Dr. Stone and Trina Hauer for their generosity and thoughtftilness in making my study possible. I am extremely grateful for the guidance and support I have received from my supervisor, Dr. Charles Mather, throughout every stage of this process. Charles, I can't say thank-you enough. The dedication you show to your students and the knowledge and advice you impart (usually with a laugh) is simply wonderful. Many thanks to Dr. Kathryn King-Shier who provided me with many opportunities for learning and who has been so generous with her wisdom. Thanks also to Drs. Anne Irwin and Doyle Hatt for their time and contributions to my thesis as committee members. I extend a most heart-felt thank-you to my dear parents, and the rest of my family, who are all wonderfully loving and supportive. Special thanks to my sister Rebecca for believing in me and helping me beyond measure. Finally, thank-you, Josh Friesen for your incredible love and support. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Table of Contents List of Tables List of Figures INTRODUCTION CHAPTER ONE: ETHNOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND I. Introduction to Heart Disease and Cardiac Rehabilitation Heart Disease Causes of Heart Disease Interventions Prevention Cardiac Rehabilitation II. The Heart The Heart as a Pump Ways of Knowing the Physical Heart Meaning and the Heart III. Uncertainty, Meaning and Disease IV. Ethnographic Research Ethnography of Heart Disease Ontology of Disease The Logic of Care V. Ethnographic Setting Aspects Places Patients CHAPTER TWO: RESEARCH METHODS Access Ethics Recruitment Sampling Study Population Data Collection Participant Observations Interviews Analysis CHAPTER THREE: RESULTS Study Participants I. Questions and Uncertainty Theme 1: Doing iv Doing Activities- Normal Life 59 Physical Limits - Cardiac Rehabilitation 63 Theme 2: Puzzling 67 Piecing Together Explanations 67 Comparing to Others 77 Considering Change 81 II. Practice, Structure, Care 84 Theme 3: Structure 85 Monitoring 85 Exercise 90 Staff Presence and Patient Uncertainty 91 Self-Monitoring 94 Protocol 98 Theme 4: Staff. 102 Access 103 Expertise 107 Care 108 III. Results Summary 112 CHAPTER FOUR: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 116 Introduction 116 Uncertainty 117 Order 124 Uncertainty, Order and the Logic of Care 132 Conclusions 135 REFERENCES 140 APPENDIX A: Breakdown of Staff at CWIC 146 APPENDIX B: Educational Classes Offered at CWIC 147 APPENDIX C: Ethics Documentation 148 APPENDIX D: Maps of Cardel Place and WHC Exercise Locations 152 APPENDIX E: Sample Analytical Face-Sheet 154 APPENDIX F: Tabulation of Theme Expressions 155 APPENDIX G: Summary of Study Participant Characteristics 161 v List of Tables Table 1. Expressions by Participant for Theme 1: Doing 155 Table 2. Expressions by Participant for Theme 2: Puzzling 156 Table 3. Expressions by Participant for Theme 3: Structure 157 Table 4. Expressions by Participant for Theme 4: Staff 158 Table 5. Expressions From Observation Data for Theme 1: Doing 158 Table 6. Expressions From Observation Data for Theme 2: Puzzling 159 Table 7. Expressions From Observation Data for Theme 3: Structure - Practices 159 Table 8. Expressions From Observation Data for Theme 3: Structure - Protocol 160 Table 9. Expressions From Observation Data for Theme 4: Staff 160 Table 10. Summary of Study Participant Characteristics 161 vi List of Figures Figure 1. Physical Layout and Observation Posts at Cardel Place 152 Figure 2. Physical Layout and Observations Posts of World Health Club 153 vii 1 INTRODUCTION Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is chronic condition pertaining to the circulatory system of the body. It is a problem of chronic inflammation (atherosclerosis) of the blood-carrying vessels of the body which causes a restriction of blood flow (Stone et al. 2009). CVD is most life-threatening when it affects the blood flow to the heart (called coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart disease) and the brain (called cerebrovascular disease)(Heart and Stroke Foundation 2011, American Heart Association 2011). It is a big problem in North America and not without reason - it is the leading cause of death for both men and women, is the primary reason for hospitalization and underlying cause of death in the United States and Canada (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada 2011; American Heart Association 2011). In Canada alone, CVD costs approximately $20.9 billion dollars a year in health care services and related workplace losses annually1 (Heart and Stroke Foundation 2011). In Canada, there are estimates that approximately 70 000 heart attacks occur each year, causing around 17 000 deaths (Heart and Stroke Foundation 2011). Heart attacks (myocardial infarctions (MI)) are acute and potentially fatal events associated with the heart-specific manifestation of CVD (known as coronary artery disease (CAD) or heart disease). A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to the heart muscle is restricted to the point where some of the heart muscle cells begin to die (Sherwood 2007). Heart attacks may be caused by any mechanism which blocks blood flow to the heart, including but not limited to: heart disease, damaged or malfunctioning heart valves, a separation in the layers of the arterial walls and emboli or blood clots which lodge in the arteries feeding the heart muscle (coronary arteries). Although the incidence of heart disease 1 The information provided by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada was based on the latest data made available by Statistics Canada which was from the year 2008. 2 and death from heart attacks has decreased steadily over the past 50 years, hospitalizations for heart attacks rose in the years between 1994 and 2004 (Heart and Stroke Foundation 2011). Research in the past sixty years in North America on the causes of C VD has shown that there are several contributing factors to the development of the disease which pertain to individual lifestyle habits. These factors include low physical activity or lack of exercise, a diet poor in fibre and high in fat and sugar, smoking, high alcohol consumption, and high stress levels (Framingham Study 2011). In the time since these findings began to develop, cardiac rehabilitation programs which aim to improve the overall fitness level of heart patients and reduce (through education and counselling) these modifiable lifestyle habits have popped up across North America. As Leon et al. (2005) state: The term cardiac rehabilitation refers to coordinated, multifaceted interventions designed to optimize a cardiac patient's physical, psychological, and social functioning, in addition to stabilizing, slowing, or even reversing the progression of the underlying atherosclerotic processes, thereby reducing morbidity and mortality (p.