Tell me about your hay fever: a qualitative investigation of allergic rhinitis management from the perspective of the patient

Biljana Cvetkovski, Vicky Kritikos, Kwok Yan, Sinthia Bosnic-Anticevich

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)
27 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is sub-optimally managed in the community and is responsible for a significant health and economic burden. Uncontrolled AR increases the risk of poorly controlled asthma and presents an increased susceptibility to thunderstorm asthma. With the availability of treatments over-the-counter, bypassing the health care professional (HCP), the role of the patient is paramount. Research on the role of the patient in AR management in the current environment is limited. This study aims to explore the patient perspective of AR management and understand why it is sub-optimally managed in the community. Patient perspectives of AR management were explored utilizing a qualitative, phenomenological approach. Adults with AR were included in the study and interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed for recurrent themes and emergent concepts. Forty-seven participants with AR were interviewed about their experiences. Patient reports of delayed diagnosis, treatment fatigue and confidence in the ability to manage their AR themselves, heavily influenced their management preferences. Patients also described barriers associated with AR management including financial expense as well as being mistaken for having an infectious disease. Patients described examples of the impact on their quality of life caused by their AR, yet they strongly believed they could manage it themselves. This belief that AR is a condition that should be entirely self-managed, contributes to its burden. It amplifies patients’ separation from HCPs and having access to guidelines aimed at optimizing their AR control.
Original languageEnglish
Article number3
Pages (from-to)1-7
Number of pages7
Journalnpj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine
Volume28
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

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.

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Tell me about your hay fever: a qualitative investigation of allergic rhinitis management from the perspective of the patient'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this