Attitudes and preferences in patients with acromegaly on long-term treatment with somatostatin analogues
(2016) In Endocrine Connections 5(4). p.167-173- Abstract
Introduction: Patients with acromegaly can be treated with surgery, medical therapy and/or radiation therapy. For the patients not being cured with surgery, treatment with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) is the primary therapy. SSA can be taken by self- or partner-administered injections in addition to being given by a nurse at a clinic. The aim was to assess if patients with acromegaly prefer self-injections and to investigate their attitudes towards long-term medical therapy. Method: All patients in the southern medical region of Sweden with a diagnosis of acromegaly and treated with SSA were eligible for the study (n = 24). The study is based on a questionnaire asking about the patients’ attitudes and preferences for injections with... (More)
Introduction: Patients with acromegaly can be treated with surgery, medical therapy and/or radiation therapy. For the patients not being cured with surgery, treatment with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) is the primary therapy. SSA can be taken by self- or partner-administered injections in addition to being given by a nurse at a clinic. The aim was to assess if patients with acromegaly prefer self-injections and to investigate their attitudes towards long-term medical therapy. Method: All patients in the southern medical region of Sweden with a diagnosis of acromegaly and treated with SSA were eligible for the study (n = 24). The study is based on a questionnaire asking about the patients’ attitudes and preferences for injections with SSA, including their attitudes towards self-injection with SSA. Results: The patients’ (23 included) median age was 68.5 years and the patients had been treated with SSA for 13 (1–38) years. One patient was currently self-injecting. All of the other patients were receiving injections from a nurse at a clinic. Three patients preferred self-injections, one preferred partner injections and 19. patients did not prefer self- or partner injections. The most frequent arguments to not preferring self-injections were ‘feeling more secure with an educated nurse’ and ‘preferring regular contact with a specialised nurse’. Conclusion: Patients with acromegaly prefer regular contact with the endocrine team to the independence offered by self-injections. These findings might mirror the patients’ desires for continuity and safety. We need to address patients’ concerns regarding injections with SSA and support them in their choices.
(Less)
- author
- Follin, Cecilia LU and Karlsson, Sven
- publishing date
- 2016-07-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Acromegaly, Attitudes, Long-term treatment, Somatostatin analogues
- in
- Endocrine Connections
- volume
- 5
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- BioScientifica
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85043622760
- ISSN
- 2049-3614
- DOI
- 10.1530/EC-16-0038
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- no
- id
- 38507126-50cf-4e8d-894d-8ca2767ddf35
- date added to LUP
- 2018-03-26 13:43:26
- date last changed
- 2022-03-25 00:55:15
@article{38507126-50cf-4e8d-894d-8ca2767ddf35,
abstract = {{<p>Introduction: Patients with acromegaly can be treated with surgery, medical therapy and/or radiation therapy. For the patients not being cured with surgery, treatment with somatostatin analogues (SSAs) is the primary therapy. SSA can be taken by self- or partner-administered injections in addition to being given by a nurse at a clinic. The aim was to assess if patients with acromegaly prefer self-injections and to investigate their attitudes towards long-term medical therapy. Method: All patients in the southern medical region of Sweden with a diagnosis of acromegaly and treated with SSA were eligible for the study (n = 24). The study is based on a questionnaire asking about the patients’ attitudes and preferences for injections with SSA, including their attitudes towards self-injection with SSA. Results: The patients’ (23 included) median age was 68.5 years and the patients had been treated with SSA for 13 (1–38) years. One patient was currently self-injecting. All of the other patients were receiving injections from a nurse at a clinic. Three patients preferred self-injections, one preferred partner injections and 19. patients did not prefer self- or partner injections. The most frequent arguments to not preferring self-injections were ‘feeling more secure with an educated nurse’ and ‘preferring regular contact with a specialised nurse’. Conclusion: Patients with acromegaly prefer regular contact with the endocrine team to the independence offered by self-injections. These findings might mirror the patients’ desires for continuity and safety. We need to address patients’ concerns regarding injections with SSA and support them in their choices.</p>}},
author = {{Follin, Cecilia and Karlsson, Sven}},
issn = {{2049-3614}},
keywords = {{Acromegaly; Attitudes; Long-term treatment; Somatostatin analogues}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{07}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{167--173}},
publisher = {{BioScientifica}},
series = {{Endocrine Connections}},
title = {{Attitudes and preferences in patients with acromegaly on long-term treatment with somatostatin analogues}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/EC-16-0038}},
doi = {{10.1530/EC-16-0038}},
volume = {{5}},
year = {{2016}},
}