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Experiences of a patient‐initiated self‐monitoring service in inflammatory arthritis: A qualitative exploration
Author(s) -
McBain Hayley,
Newman Stanton,
Shipley Michael,
Olaleye Abigail,
Moore Samantha
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
musculoskeletal care
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1557-0681
pISSN - 1478-2189
DOI - 10.1002/msc.1232
Subject(s) - medicine , thematic analysis , service (business) , qualitative research , protocol (science) , randomized controlled trial , research ethics , intervention (counseling) , nursing , anxiety , service provider , self monitoring , consistency (knowledge bases) , fidelity , patient satisfaction , alternative medicine , psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , surgery , social science , economy , pathology , engineering , sociology , electrical engineering , economics , geometry , mathematics
Objectives The aim of the present study was to explore patients' experience of a patient‐initiated self‐monitoring service for people with rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis who are on methotrexate. Methods The study took the form of qualitative semi‐structured interviews, embedded within a randomized controlled trial. Twelve participants who were randomly assigned to the intervention arm were interviewed. Interviews digitally, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis. The study received full National Health Service ethics approval from Camden and Islington Community Local Research Ethics Committee (Ref. 09/H0722/91). Results Analysis revealed five key themes. Participants described usual care as burdensome and an inefficient use of time, particularly those in employment. Being able to self‐monitor and initiate their own care increased patients' knowledge about their illness and its treatment, and enabled them to gain a sense of control and ownership over their arthritis. They appreciated the personalized nature of the new service, which allowed them to be seen at a time and by a method more appropriate to their needs. There were, however, some concerns about fidelity to the service protocol, confusion about the lack of consistency between symptoms and laboratory results, and anxiety about self‐monitoring. Conclusions Overall, participants were positive about the new service, in comparison with usual care, valuing its tailored approach and empowering effects. Further work is needed to ensure adherence to the service protocol and address anxieties around self‐monitoring prior to any widespread implementation of the service.