TY - JOUR
T1 - A patient-centric analysis to identify key influences in allergic rhinitis management
AU - Cvetkovski, Biljana
AU - Tan, Rachel
AU - Kritikos, Vicky
AU - Yan, Kwok
AU - Azzi, Elizabeth
AU - Srour, Pamela
AU - Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia
N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2018. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasingly becoming a patient self-managed disease. Just under 70% of patients purchasing pharmacotherapy self-select their treatment with no health-care professional intervention often resulting in poor choices, leading to suboptimal management and increased burden of AR on the individual and the community. However, no decision is made without external, influencing forces. This study aims to determine the key influences driving patients’ decision-making around AR management. To accomplish this aim, we utilised a social network theory framework to map the patient’s AR network and identify the strength of the influences within this network. Adults who reported having AR were interviewed and completed an AR network map and AR severity and quality of life questionnaires. Forty one people with AR completed the study. The AR networks of the participants had a range of 1–11 influences (alters), with an average number of 4 and a median of 5. The larger the impact of AR on their quality of life, the greater the number of alters within their network. The three most commonly identified alters were, general practitioners, pharmacists and the participants’ ‘own experience’. The strength of the influence of health-care professionals (HCPs) was varied. The proportion of HCPs within the AR network increased as the impact of AR on their quality of life increased. By mapping the AR network, this study demonstrated that there are multiple influences behind patient’s decisions regarding AR management but the role of the HCP cannot be dismissed.
AB - Allergic rhinitis (AR) is increasingly becoming a patient self-managed disease. Just under 70% of patients purchasing pharmacotherapy self-select their treatment with no health-care professional intervention often resulting in poor choices, leading to suboptimal management and increased burden of AR on the individual and the community. However, no decision is made without external, influencing forces. This study aims to determine the key influences driving patients’ decision-making around AR management. To accomplish this aim, we utilised a social network theory framework to map the patient’s AR network and identify the strength of the influences within this network. Adults who reported having AR were interviewed and completed an AR network map and AR severity and quality of life questionnaires. Forty one people with AR completed the study. The AR networks of the participants had a range of 1–11 influences (alters), with an average number of 4 and a median of 5. The larger the impact of AR on their quality of life, the greater the number of alters within their network. The three most commonly identified alters were, general practitioners, pharmacists and the participants’ ‘own experience’. The strength of the influence of health-care professionals (HCPs) was varied. The proportion of HCPs within the AR network increased as the impact of AR on their quality of life increased. By mapping the AR network, this study demonstrated that there are multiple influences behind patient’s decisions regarding AR management but the role of the HCP cannot be dismissed.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85053361114&partnerID=MN8TOARS
U2 - 10.1038/s41533-018-0100-z
DO - 10.1038/s41533-018-0100-z
M3 - Article
C2 - 30213945
SN - 2055-1010
VL - 28
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
JF - npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
M1 - 34
ER -