Abstract
Title: Long term Home Non-Invasive Ventilation (NIV) : A patient perspective on everyday Life and Quality
of Life. A realistic evaluation of significant factors aimed at improving interventions with Home-NIV
Treatment.
Objective: The project aims to gain insight factors that are significant to patients undergoing home NIV
treatment in relation to their everyday life and quality of life. Understanding these significant factors will
contribute to a concrete proposal for changes in home NIV treatment at the practice contact, the
pulmonary outpatient clinic at Aalborg Universitetshospital.
Methods: Based on the critical realist scientific position, a realistic evaluation of the intervention, home
NIV-treatment, has been conducted, inspired by Pawson and Tilley (2004). Data are gathered through
observation visits to the pulmonary outpatient clinic, interviews with two nurses, systematic literature
searches, and realistic interviews with six informants. Using this data, the patient perspective on significant
factors in relation to everyday life and quality of life during home NIV treatment is sought.
Resultater: The results of the realistic evaluation reveal four overarching significant factors the are
important to patients in relation to their everyday life and quality of life during home NIV treatment. 1.
Introduction to home-NIV treatment in the pulmonary outpatient clinic, 2. Digital monitoring of home NIV,
3. Support and backing from social relationships, and 4. Home treatment with NIV as a vital therapy to
achieve better physical and mental well-being. Furthermore, the results show that a strong connection to
an experienced nurse and social community increases coherence, continuity, security and adherence to
treatment. Patients indicate that the mechanisms, working together, lead to improved physical and mental
well-being, which positively influences everyday life and quality of life.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that the patients embrace home-NIV is a necessary life-saving treatment.
Additionally, the significant factors must be seen as mutually interdependent, enabling patients to maintain
their everylife and quality of life. Recommendations for practice include proposals for changes to support
these significant factors and suggestions for how healthcare providers can assist patients in the absence of
such factors, for example developing interventions for patients without a social support network.