In our first study, the team was led by Dr. Laurene Sheilds and included Drs. Anita Molzahn, Anne Bruce and Kelli Stajduhar with then-doctoral students Kara Schick-Makaroff, Rosanne Beuthin and Sheryl Shermack, and our research associate Robyn Wiebe. During the interviews participants were asked to identify a symbol that represented their illness experience. They shared stories to explain why they selected a particular symbol and described what the symbol meant for them as an individual living with a serious illness.
Our second study was led by Dr. Laurene Sheilds and included Drs. Anita Molzahn, Anne Bruce, Kara Schick-Makaroff and Alex Clark, and doctoral students Marcy Antonio and Lacie White, and research associate Robyn Wiebe. Over a period of six to eighteen months people were asked to share their experiences of living with the uncertainty of advanced cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, kidney disease heart failure. Participants included people living with chronic illness and their family members.