이명 환자의 증상 수용과정에 관한 근거이론적 접근

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the process of symptom acceptance of tinnitus patients. Methods: Data were collected from October 2017 to March 2018 through individual in-depth interviews with 15 tinnitus patients. Verbatim transcripts and field notes were analyzed using grounded theory methodology developed by Corbin and Strauss. Results: The core category about the symptom acceptance of tinnitus patients was identified as "accepting tinnitus as an alarming sign to escape from the prison of ear ringing and maintain good health." The acceptance of tinnitus consisted of three phases: "desperate effort", "resigned reflection on the past stage", and "voluntary change in viewpoint stage". Conclusion: The findings from this study show that tinnitus had a great impact on the life of the patients. The core category: "accepting tinnitus as an alarming sign to escape from the prison of ear ringing and maintain good health" shows the agony and endeavor of the patients in the process of accepting the symptom as the part of their life amid lack of social insight into tinnitus. Healthcare providers' cooperation is needed to build a supportive social atmosphere to help these patients empathetically and enhance their coping capabilities and symptom management. This finding will be helpful for developing educational programs and intervention guidelines and providing appropriate counseling services for these people.