'The lesser of two evils…' - views of persons with rheumatoid arthritis on medication adherence: a qualitative study

"Every Little Furrow of Her Brow Makes Me Want To Stop": An Interpretative Phenomenologic Analysis of Mothers' Experiences With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Treatments

OBJECTIVE

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are faced with a complex medical journey requiring consistent adherence to treatments to achieve disease management. Parents are intimately involved in JIA treatments; however, little is known about their experiences in this role. This is relevant as many treatments necessitate procedural pain (e.g., self-injections) or side effects (e.g., nausea), which may impact a parents' ability to follow treatment plans. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of parents who identified challenges with their child's JIA treatments.

METHODS

Parents of children with JIA who identified challenges with their child's treatments were invited to take part in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

RESULTS

Ten mothers of children with JIA (60% female with a mean age of 11.83 years [range 4-16 years]) participated. Four superordinate themes were present in mothers' experiences: 1) treatments altered mothers' roles within the family, increasing their caregiver burden and advocacy; 2) treatments positively and negatively impacted their relationships (e.g., increased support from others, decreased time with others); 3) treatments elicited various emotional responses (e.g., frustration, grief), which affected their well-being; and 4) treatments were at times a source of internal conflict, affecting mothers' actions and adherence.

CONCLUSION

Mothers' experiences with their child's JIA treatments affects them in various ways that can subsequently impact treatment adherence. Results highlight the value of supporting parents through these complex treatment regimens and incorporating their experiences in treatment decisions to help promote optimal outcomes for children with JIA and their families.

Experiences of the Patients with Behcet's Syndrom from Adherence to Treatment: A Qualitative Content Analysis

Background

Adherence to treatment plays an important role in the effectiveness of treatment in patients with Behcet's Syndrome (BS). An in-depth understanding of the experiences of patients with BS will help to improve the patients' management. The present qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of patients with BS from adherence to treatment.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted during February-September 2019 at Shahid Motahari Behcet's Clinic in Shiraz, Iran. Data were collected through eight unstructured observations and 22 individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 participants (15 patients with BS, three family members, and two rheumatologists). Data analysis was performed simultaneously with data collection, using the conventional content analysis as proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Data were managed using MAXQDA 10 software.

Results

Data analysis resulted in 21 sub-categories, seven categories, and three themes. The themes included barriers to treatment adherence (inability to cope with treatment and challenges in access to health care), facilitators of treatment adherence (incentives, receiving support, and striving to adapt to illness), and missing aspects of the treatment program (inadequate patient education and the neglect of lifestyle modification).

Conclusion

The barriers to and facilitators of treatment adherence as well as the missing aspects of the treatment program of patients with BS were identified. Adherence to treatment is not only determined by the patients, but also affected by the support system and relies upon the existing context and the nature of the treatment plan. These parameters should be considered during patient management to effectively promote treatment adherence.

Selected psychological factors and medication adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Objectives

The aim of the study was to determine the relationship between medication adherence (MA) and selected psychological factors in a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Material and methods

The cross-sectional study was conducted in four rheumatology outpatient clinics in Silesia, Poland. The tests used were the Medication Adherence Questionnaire (MAQ), the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), and the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). The analysis involved 106 adult patients diagnosed with RA at least 6 months before, who were prescribed medication, with disease at any stage and with stable comorbidities. Software was used to perform analyses of frequency, basic descriptive statistics, including the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Student’s t-test for independent samples, intergroup univariate variance, Pearson’s r correlation coefficient, Spearman’s rank correlation ρ coefficient, Fisher’s exact test and stepwise linear regression.

Results

Powerful Others Health Locus of Control (PHLC), Internal Health Locus of Control (IHLC) and age of the subjects, F(3, 102) = 8.05; p < 0.001 explained 16.8% of the variation in the adherence level for the entire group. In the group of women PHLC and IHLC, F(2, 80) = 10.04; p < 0.001 were included in the model, which explained 18.1% of variation in MA. PHLC was the most significant factor in the group of women (β = 0.55; p < 0.001) and in the entire group (β = 0.48; p < 0.001). In the group of men, Social Diversion Style (SDS), F(1, 21) = 5.81; p = 0.02 was included in the model, which explained 17.9% of the variation in the MA level.

Conclusions

The study identified some psychological predictors of adherence, which explained 16.8% of the variability. Factors increasing the likelihood of medication adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis include a strong belief in the power of others, low level of internal health locus of control, and advanced age.

2020 EULAR points to consider for the prevention, screening, assessment and management of non-adherence to treatment in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases for use in clinical practice

BACKGROUND

Non-adherence to treatment could preclude reaching an optimal outcome. Thirty to 80% of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) do not adhere to the agreed treatment.

OBJECTIVES

The objective was to establish points to consider (PtCs) for the prevention, screening, assessment and management of non-adherence to (non-)pharmacological treatments in people with RMDs.

METHODS

An EULAR task force (TF) was established, and the EULAR standardised operating procedures for the development of PtCs were followed. The TF included healthcare providers (HCPs), comprising rheumatologists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and patient-representatives from 12 European countries. A review of systematic reviews was conducted in advance to support the TF in formulating the PtCs. The level of agreement among the TF was established by anonymous online voting.

RESULTS

Four overarching principles and nine PtCs were formulated. The PtCs reflect the phases of action on non-adherence. HCPs should assess and discuss adherence with patients on a regular basis and support patients to treatment adherence. As adherence is an agreed behaviour, the treatment has to be tailored to the patients' needs. The level of agreement ranged from 9.5 to 9.9 out of 10.

CONCLUSIONS

These PtCs can help HCPs to support people with RMDs to be more adherent to the agreed treatment plan. The basic scheme being prevent non-adherence by bonding with the patient and building trust, overcoming structural barriers, assessing in a blame-free environment and tailoring the solution to the problem.

Pop a pill or give myself a shot? Patient perspectives of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug choice for rheumatoid arthritis

OBJECTIVE

To assess how patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) decide whether to add oral disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) versus injectable biologic DMARDs when methotrexate response is inadequate.

METHODS

Using nominal group technique (NGT), RA patients answered the question "What sort of things are important to you when you make a decision between adding pills versus injectable medications to treat rheumatoid arthritis when methotrexate fails to control RA disease activity?" Patients nominated, discussed, and voted for the responses.

RESULTS

Forty-seven RA patients participated: Birmingham (n=6 NG; 21 patients) and New York City (n=4 NG; 26 patients). They were predominantly female (85%), 70% white, with a mean age of 64.5 years and 58% had>10-year RA duration. Present/past DMARDs included methotrexate only in 6%, other traditional DMARDs in 15%, glucocorticoids in combination with traditional DMARDs in 11%, and biologics and/or Jak-kinase inhibitors in 68% of participants. Voted domains in order were: (1) efficacy/effectiveness and the onset/mode of action (78/282 votes); (2) side effects/fear of side effects (84/282 votes); (3) cost including out of pocket, co-payments and patient responsibility (54/282 votes); (4) convenience/frequency of use (27/282 votes); (5) doctor's opinion (20/282 votes); (6) other drugs/comorbidity/other patient's experience/effects on other people (3/282 votes); (7) fear of needles (8/282 votes); and (8) newness of the medication (8/282 votes).

CONCLUSIONS

We identified the patient perspective regarding the choice between adding oral versus injectable DMARD once methotrexate failed to control RA disease activity. This knowledge can help in shared decision-making for DMARD choice in RA treatment.

Medication adherence in the older adults with chronic multimorbidity: a systematic review of qualitative studies on patient's experience

PURPOSE

Medication non-adherence represents a socially relevant challenge, particularly when interlinked to multiple chronic diseases and polypharmacy. Non-adherence rates affect treatment efficacy and increase health care costs. The aim of the study was to identify factors influencing medication adherence in the older adults through a systematic review of qualitative studies on patients' experience.

METHODS

Two electronic databases were searched for qualitative studies on medication adherence in chronic diseases (hypertension, heart disease, COPD, asthma) involving people aged 65 + . The systematic review was performed according to the PRISMA statement guidelines, employing theoretical frameworks of the ABC Taxonomy of patient adherence and Three Factor model of determinants of behaviour.

RESULTS

The initial database search identified 1234 records, of which 39 studies were considered eligible. Most of the studies focused on hypertension and were conducted in English-speaking countries. According to the ABC Taxonomy, Persistence and Implementation were the most often considered phases. Considering the Three Factor model, the most often reported themes were Information and Strategies upon being adherent. Stemming from the review findings and the patients' narratives, a new integrated model was proposed. It reports the patient's decisional flowchart describing barriers and facilitators (personal, social and environmental) to adherence.

CONCLUSION

Medication adherence is a complex and multifaceted process. The implementation of theoretical frameworks along with a patient-centred perspective may provide clinicians with useful suggestions for clinical practice, enhancing the patient's ability to adhere.

Rheumatologists' insight into medication adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Medication non-adherence is prevalent among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Rheumatologists are specialists in medication prescribing and counselling for RA, but their insights regarding medication adherence have not been studied.

OBJECTIVE

To explore rheumatologists' insights into medication adherence in patients with RA.

METHODS

A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with 10 rheumatologists in Iran was undertaken. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify how rheumatologists assess medication adherence and their perceived determinants of adherence. The identified determinants of adherence were mapped according to the Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Service Use.

RESULTS

Six participants were male, and the mean age was 47 years. The mean years of experience as a rheumatologist was 8.6 (SD = 7.1) years. Rheumatologists did not use a validated tool for medication adherence assessment. They assessed medication adherence either by asking their patients simple questions or using laboratory test results. The identified determinants of adherence were divided into 3 groups: patient-, rheumatologist- and healthcare organization-related determinants. The proposed suggestions to improve adherence were: (a) to understand a patient's financial situation before prescribing more expensive medications; (b) to employ a dose-reducing strategy; (c) to give hope to patients regarding remission; and (d) to arrange a session with the nurse educator.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study provide insight into rheumatologists' perspectives on medication adherence of patients with RA. The identified determinants of adherence could be considered when developing initiatives to improve medication adherence in this group of patients.

Medication adherence and cost-related medication non-adherence in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: A cross-sectional study

AIM

First, to assess the clinical characteristics and medication adherence to oral rheumatoid arthritis (RA) medications in patients with RA. Second, to examine adherence determinants with a focus on the effect of medication out-of-pocket (OOP) costs on medication adherence to oral RA medications. Lastly, to examine cost-related medication non-adherence (CRN) in patients with RA.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study of patients with RA was conducted at rheumatology outpatient clinics in Shiraz, Iran. The data collection survey consisted of 5 sections including demographic questions, disease-related questions, Compliance Questionnaire Rheumatology (CQR), CRN questions and an open-ended question. SPSS version 24 was used for analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 308 completed surveys were collected. Adherence to oral RA medications was 40.3%. Just under 20% of participants were biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) users and these bDMARDs users were 0.82 times less likely to be adherent to their oral RA medications compared to non-bDMARDs users (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant association between OOP costs and adherence to oral RA medications (P > 0.05). However, 28.7% of participants reported not refilling, delaying to refill, skipping doses or taking smaller doses due to cost. In findings of the open-ended question, medication costs and affordability were the most commonly mentioned barriers to medication adherence.

CONCLUSION

Non-adherence to oral RA medications was prevalent among Iranian patients with RA and OOP costs were a barrier to medication adherence.

I do not want to suppress the natural process of inflammation: new insights on factors associated with non-adherence in rheumatoid arthritis

BACKGROUND

It is estimated that 50-70% of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are non-adherent to their recommended treatment. Non-adherent patients have a higher risk of not reaching an optimal clinical outcome. We explored factors associated with nonadherence from the patient's perspective.

METHODS

Four hundred and fifty-nine RA patients (346 (75.4%) females; mean age 63.0 ± 14.8 years) who failed to attend follow-up visits in two rheumatology centres were eligible to participate in a qualitative interview study. We used this strategy to identify patients who were potentially non-adherent to medicines and/or non-pharmacological interventions. By means of meaning condensation analysis, we identified new and some already well known insights to factors associated with non-adherence. We used the capability, opportunity, and motivation model of behaviour (COM-B) model as a frame of reference to classify the factors.

RESULTS

Forty-three of 131 patients (32.8%) who agreed to participate in the qualitative interviews were found to be non-adherent. New insights on factors associated with non-adherence included strong opinions of patients, such as pain being considered as an indicator of hard work and something to be proud of, or inflammation being a natural process that should not be suppressed; feeling not to be in expert's hands when being treated by a physician/health professional; the experience of excessive self-control over the treatment; and rheumatologists addressing only drugs and omitting non-pharmacological aspects. The COM-B model comprehensively covered the range of our findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The new insights on factors associated with non-adherence allow a better understanding of this phenomenon and can substantially enhance patient care by helping to develop targeted interventions.

Exploring strategies to support medication adherence in patients with inflammatory arthritis: a patient-oriented qualitative study using an interactive focus group activity

OBJECTIVE

Medication non-adherence is a substantial problem among patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA). Our aim was to explore IA patients' perspectives on strategies to support medication adherence.

METHODS

We collaborated with a leading arthritis patient group and conducted a qualitative study on individuals with IA who were taking at least one medication for their IA. An experienced facilitator led participants through a focus group exercise where participants were asked to design, and then discuss, strategies and/or tools supporting medication use. We applied thematic analysis using an iterative, constant comparative approach.

RESULTS

We studied six focus groups with 27 participants diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and comparatively under-represented conditions in this research area such as Sjögren's syndrome. Five themes emerged throughout the analysis. Two themes - 1) adapting to life with IA and 2) the complexities and dynamic nature of taking medications - describe learning to live with a chronic condition and the challenges encountered when using long-term medications. Three themes - 3) developing lifestyle strategies for medication use (eg, having physical reminders and prompts), 4) becoming informed about medications (eg, information at time of diagnosis, means of receiving information) and 5) receiving support (eg, from health care team members, from family) - offer perspectives on facilitators to medication use. From the relationship between the latter themes, a framework was developed that encompasses means of receiving information and support as actionable targets for patient-oriented adherence interventions for IA.

CONCLUSION

This patient-oriented study highlights the importance of developing timely adherence interventions for IA. Our findings also led to a framework describing means of receiving information, such as through digital media and support, including from health care team members and family, as actionable targets for patient-oriented adherence interventions for IA.

Use of rheumatology-specific patient navigators to understand and reduce barriers to medication adherence: Analysis of qualitative findings

Objective

Adherence to medications among patients with rheumatic diseases is often suboptimal. Patient navigators, individuals trained in care coordination, motivational interviewing and basic rheumatology and pharmacology, have not been employed to explore and address this issue. We piloted a single-site, single arm intervention to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using rheumatology-specific navigators to understand and reduce barriers to adherence to oral disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). We analyzed our qualitative findings from navigator-patient interactions as well as patient satisfaction with the intervention.

Methods

We recruited patients ≥18 years with a systemic rheumatic disease who initiated an oral DMARD within the prior 6 months. Navigators conducted baseline needs assessments and 2–4 week follow-up calls to understand and address issues related to medication adherence. We analyzed patient-navigator encounters qualitatively using content analysis to identify key themes related to barriers to adherence and navigator actions performed in response to the barriers described. We also categorized intentional and unintentional nonadherent behavior and assessed satisfaction with the navigator experience (range 0–5, 5 = most satisfied).

Results

107 rheumatology patients were followed for up to 6 months. Mean patient age was 55 years (+17) and 93% were female; 36% described one or more episode of intentional or unintentional nonadherence. The three most common themes identified as barriers to adherence were fear of adverse events (raised by 54%), concerns about medication effectiveness (43%), and challenges with medication acquisition (32%). 86% of participants described at least one adherence-related barrier. Frequent navigator actions included facilitation of patient-doctor communication (38%), medication and diagnosis education (27%), and development of individualized strategies to improve adherence (16%). Patients were satisfied with the navigator experience (mean 4.4 + 0.9).

Conclusion

Navigators uncovered and addressed a number of medication adherence-related concerns and patients were satisfied with the services provided.

A systematic review of the barriers affecting medication adherence in patients with rheumatic diseases

Medication adherence is a crucial part in the management of rheumatic diseases, especially with many such patients requiring long-term medications. In this paper, we aim to systematically review the literature for the factors associated with medication adherence in the rheumatic patient population. We carried out a systematic literature search using PubMed^®, PsychInfo^® and Embase ^® with relevant keywords and employed the PRISMA^® criteria. We included English peer-reviewed articles that studied the factors affecting medication adherence in patients with rheumatic diseases, which were assessed by two independent reviewers. Hand searches were conducted and relevant factors were extracted and classified using the World Health Organization (WHO)'s five dimensions of medication adherence. A simple diagram was drawn to summarise the factors extracted. 1977 articles were identified and reviewed and 90 articles were found to be relevant. A total of 17 factors and 38 sub-factors were identified and categorized based on the WHO's five dimensions of medication adherence. A hand model for medication adherence was developed to succinctly summarise these dimension to remind clinicians the importance of medication adherence in daily practice. We conducted a systematic review on the various factors including patient, therapy, condition, health system and socioeconomic-related factors that affected medication adherence in rheumatic patients. We found 17 factors and 38 sub-factors that affected medication adherence in this population. This systematic review can facilitate future focused research in unexplored dimensions.

Patients' conceptions of their own influence on good treatment response to biological therapy in chronic inflammatory arthritis

BACKGROUND

Biological therapies are common in the treatment of patients with chronic inflammatory arthritis (CIA). However, despite the fact that many patients respond well to their biological therapies, there are still a number of nonresponders. In order to design the best care for patients, it is important to understand how they conceive their own role in their treatment response.

OBJECTIVE

To explore how patients with CIA conceive their own influence on a good treatment response to biological therapy.

METHODS

This study had an exploratory and descriptive design with a phenomenographic approach. Interviews were conducted with 25 patients (11 women and 14 men) aged 17-79 years, with CIA who were undergoing biological therapy and who had low disease activity or were in remission.

RESULTS

Patients with CIA undergoing biological therapy conceived their own influence on good treatment response in terms of adherence, physical activity, mental attitude, social support, and self-awareness. Adherence was described as the foundation for the patients' own influence on good treatment response. Physical activity, mental attitude, and social support reflected three essential ways of understanding patients' influence on good treatment response where the patients spoke about physical strength, mental strength, and social strength. Self-awareness reflected a comprehensive way of influencing good treatment response in which patients balanced their physical, mental, and social resources in partnership with health care professionals.

CONCLUSION

Patients conceived that they had a responsibility for adhering to the treatment as well as achieving balance in life in order to ensure good treatment response. Self-awareness was essential for maintaining a good treatment response, and this reflected the patients' awareness of the complexity of living their lives with a chronic illness.