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What do patients prefer? A multinational, longitudinal, qualitative study on patient-preferred treatment outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis

Van der Elst, Kristien ; Mathijssen, Elke G.E. ; Landgren, Ellen LU orcid ; Bremander, Ann LU ; De Groef, An ; Lindqvist, Elisabet LU orcid ; Nylander, Maria ; Peters, Alma ; Van den Hoogen, Frank and van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne , et al. (2020) In RMD Open 6(2).
Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To explore treatment outcomes preferred by patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how these change throughout the early disease stage across three European countries. METHODS: A longitudinal, qualitative, multicentre study was conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. 80 patients with early RA were individually interviewed 3-9 months after treatment initiation and 51 of them participated again in either a focus group or an individual interview 12-21 months after treatment initiation. Data were first analysed by country, following the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL). Thereafter, a meta-synthesis, inspired by the principles of meta-ethnography and the QUAGOL, was performed, involving the local... (More)

OBJECTIVES: To explore treatment outcomes preferred by patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how these change throughout the early disease stage across three European countries. METHODS: A longitudinal, qualitative, multicentre study was conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. 80 patients with early RA were individually interviewed 3-9 months after treatment initiation and 51 of them participated again in either a focus group or an individual interview 12-21 months after treatment initiation. Data were first analysed by country, following the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL). Thereafter, a meta-synthesis, inspired by the principles of meta-ethnography and the QUAGOL, was performed, involving the local research teams. RESULTS: The meta-synthesis revealed 11 subthemes from which four main themes were identified: disease control, physical performance, self-accomplishment and well-being. 'A normal life despite RA' was an overarching patient-preferred outcome across countries. Belgian, Dutch and Swedish patients showed many similarities in terms of which outcomes they preferred throughout the early stage of RA. Some outcome preferences (eg, relief of fatigue and no side effects) developed differently over time across countries. CONCLUSIONS: This study on patient-preferred outcomes in early RA revealed that patients essentially want to live a normal life despite RA. Our findings help to understand what really matters to patients and provide specific insights into the early stage of RA, which should be addressed by clinicians of different disciplines from the start of treatment onwards.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arthritis, Health Care, Outcome and Process Assessment, Qualitative research, Rheumatoid
in
RMD Open
volume
6
issue
2
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:32938747
  • scopus:85091127481
ISSN
2056-5933
DOI
10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001339
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
776e7698-7c5e-4fae-80a9-4ea9bdb01f5e
date added to LUP
2020-10-05 18:12:09
date last changed
2025-05-17 10:17:48
@article{776e7698-7c5e-4fae-80a9-4ea9bdb01f5e,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVES: To explore treatment outcomes preferred by patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how these change throughout the early disease stage across three European countries. METHODS: A longitudinal, qualitative, multicentre study was conducted in Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. 80 patients with early RA were individually interviewed 3-9 months after treatment initiation and 51 of them participated again in either a focus group or an individual interview 12-21 months after treatment initiation. Data were first analysed by country, following the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL). Thereafter, a meta-synthesis, inspired by the principles of meta-ethnography and the QUAGOL, was performed, involving the local research teams. RESULTS: The meta-synthesis revealed 11 subthemes from which four main themes were identified: disease control, physical performance, self-accomplishment and well-being. 'A normal life despite RA' was an overarching patient-preferred outcome across countries. Belgian, Dutch and Swedish patients showed many similarities in terms of which outcomes they preferred throughout the early stage of RA. Some outcome preferences (eg, relief of fatigue and no side effects) developed differently over time across countries. CONCLUSIONS: This study on patient-preferred outcomes in early RA revealed that patients essentially want to live a normal life despite RA. Our findings help to understand what really matters to patients and provide specific insights into the early stage of RA, which should be addressed by clinicians of different disciplines from the start of treatment onwards.</p>}},
  author       = {{Van der Elst, Kristien and Mathijssen, Elke G.E. and Landgren, Ellen and Bremander, Ann and De Groef, An and Lindqvist, Elisabet and Nylander, Maria and Peters, Alma and Van den Hoogen, Frank and van Eijk-Hustings, Yvonne and Verhoeven, Gerard and Vriezekolk, Johanna E. and Westhovens, Rene and Larsson, Ingrid}},
  issn         = {{2056-5933}},
  keywords     = {{Arthritis; Health Care; Outcome and Process Assessment; Qualitative research; Rheumatoid}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{09}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{RMD Open}},
  title        = {{What do patients prefer? A multinational, longitudinal, qualitative study on patient-preferred treatment outcomes in early rheumatoid arthritis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001339}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/rmdopen-2020-001339}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}