How do patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease perceive the use of their medications: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research

UBC Faculty Research and Publications

How do patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease perceive the use of their medications: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research Haag, Hans; Liang, Tim; Aviña-Zubieta, J. Antonio; De Vera, Mary

Abstract

Background: Pharmacotherapy is paramount to the management of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), yet there is sub-optimal adherence and limited adherence interventions. To understand how to better support patients’ medication use, our two-fold objectives were: 1) to conduct a systematic review of qualitative research studies of medication taking among SARD patients; and 2) to thematically synthesize qualitative research studies to obtain SARD patients’ perspectives and experiences with medication use. Methods: We conducted a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Social Sciences Citation Index databases to identify qualitative research studies exploring views on medication use among patients with SARDs, their healthcare providers, or caregivers. We used thematic synthesis to combine data from selected studies, and identify analytical themes on SARD patients’ perspectives and experiences with medication use. Results: Our systematic review identified 18 studies. Thematic synthesis identified seven analytical themes: 1) effects of medications on emotional and social well-being, 2) impacts of healthcare provider relationships on treatment, 3) gaining control over treatment, 4) fear and concern with side effects of treatment, 5) understanding the importance of treatment, 6) practical barriers to taking medication, and 7) motivation towards adherence to treatment. Conclusion: This systematic review and thematic synthesis contributes to better understanding of SARDs patients’ perspectives on medication use. Given the paucity of existing adherence interventions targeting this patient population, our study has certain practical implications for care, namely the need to address emotional and social impacts of medication use and the necessity of establishing a meaningful and trusting professional relationship with patients.

Item Metadata

Title	How do patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease perceive the use of their medications: a systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative research
Creator	Haag, Hans; Liang, Tim; Aviña-Zubieta, J. Antonio; De Vera, Mary
Contributor	University of British Columbia. Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation
Publisher	BioMed Central
Date Issued	2018-04-02
Description	Background: Pharmacotherapy is paramount to the management of systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), yet there is sub-optimal adherence and limited adherence interventions. To understand how to better support patients’ medication use, our two-fold objectives were: 1) to conduct a systematic review of qualitative research studies of medication taking among SARD patients; and 2) to thematically synthesize qualitative research studies to obtain SARD patients’ perspectives and experiences with medication use. Methods: We conducted a search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and Social Sciences Citation Index databases to identify qualitative research studies exploring views on medication use among patients with SARDs, their healthcare providers, or caregivers. We used thematic synthesis to combine data from selected studies, and identify analytical themes on SARD patients’ perspectives and experiences with medication use. Results: Our systematic review identified 18 studies. Thematic synthesis identified seven analytical themes: 1) effects of medications on emotional and social well-being, 2) impacts of healthcare provider relationships on treatment, 3) gaining control over treatment, 4) fear and concern with side effects of treatment, 5) understanding the importance of treatment, 6) practical barriers to taking medication, and 7) motivation towards adherence to treatment. Conclusion: This systematic review and thematic synthesis contributes to better understanding of SARDs patients’ perspectives on medication use. Given the paucity of existing adherence interventions targeting this patient population, our study has certain practical implications for care, namely the need to address emotional and social impacts of medication use and the necessity of establishing a meaningful and trusting professional relationship with patients.
Subject	Concordance; Medication use; Qualitative research; Systematic review; Systematic autoimmune rheumatic disease; Systemic lupus erythematosus
Genre	Article
Type	Text
Language	eng
Date Available	2018-04-04
Provider	Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
Rights	Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
DOI	10.14288/1.0364672
URI	http://hdl.handle.net/2429/65110
Affiliation	Medicine, Faculty of; Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of; Other UBC; Non UBC; Medicine, Department of
Citation	BMC Rheumatology. 2018 Apr 02;2(1):9
Publisher DOI	10.1186/s41927-018-0017-8
Peer Review Status	Reviewed
Scholarly Level	Faculty
Copyright Holder	The Author(s)
Rights URI	http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Aggregated Source Repository	DSpace

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