Summary Background Acne vulgaris is a common skin condition affecting approximately 95% of adolescents to some extent. First‐line treatments are topical preparations but nonadherence is common. A substantial proportion of patients take long courses of oral antibiotics, associated with antibiotic resistance. Objectives This study aimed to explore young people's views and experiences of acne and its treatments. Methods We report a secondary thematic analysis of interview data collected by researchers in the Health Experiences Research Group (HERG), University of Oxford. A total of 25 transcripts from young people aged 13–24 years with acne were included. Results Acne is often perceived as a short‐term self‐limiting condition of adolescence and this appears to have implications for seeking treatment or advice. Participants widely perceived topical treatments as being ineffective, which seemed related to unrealistic expectations around speed of onset of action. Many participants felt they had tried all available topical treatments, although were unsure what was in them or unaware of differences between cosmetic and pharmaceutical treatments. They had concerns around how to use topicals ‘properly’ and how to avoid side‐effects. They were also concerned about the side‐effects or necessity of oral treatments, although few seemed aware of antibiotic resistance. Conclusions People with acne need support to manage their condition effectively, particularly a better understanding of different topicals, how to use them and how to avoid side‐effects. Unrealistic expectations about the onset of action of treatments appears to be a common cause of frustration and nonadherence. Directing people towards accessible evidence‐based information is crucial. What's already known about this topic? There is a common perception that acne is a short‐term condition that will resolve without treatment. Previous research has shown that nonadherence to topical treatments is common and that oral antibiotics are the most commonly prescribed treatment for acne in the U.K. Further research is needed to understand how young people perceive acne treatments and the implications of this for treatment adherence and self‐management. What does this study add? People often said they had tried all available topical preparations for acne, but seemed confused between cosmetic and pharmaceutical treatments. People seemed unsure how to use topical treatments ‘properly’ or how to avoid side‐effects. This was rarely discussed with health professionals. People's perception of acne as a short‐term condition appeared to influence their expectations around onset of action of treatment and their views about its effectiveness and necessity. What are the clinical implications of the work? The perception of acne as a short‐term condition has implications for self‐management and motivation to seek and adhere to treatments. Providing advice about onset of action of treatments and how to prevent side‐effects is crucial, including directing people towards acc...
Background: Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women, with well-documented delays between initial presentation with symptoms and diagnosis. In England, women typically seek help first in primary care, making this setting pivotal in women’s pathways to diagnosis and treatment. English General Practitioner (GP) perspectives on managing possible endometriosis have not been previously reported. Aim: To explore what GPs identify as important considerations when caring for women with symptoms that raise the possibility of endometriosis. Design and Setting: English primary care. Method: Semi-structured scenario-based telephone interviews with 42 GPs based around a fictional scenario of a woman presenting to primary care with symptoms suggesting possible endometriosis. Interviews were thematically coded and analysed. Results: Managing possible endometriosis in primary care brings challenges. While knowledge and awareness were pre-requisites for considering endometriosis, other important considerations were raised. Symptoms suggestive of endometriosis are non-specific, making endometriosis one possible consideration of many. GPs move through a diagnostic hierarchy to exclude sinister causes and utilise trials of treatment as both therapeutic interventions and diagnostic tools – processes which take time. An endometriosis label or diagnosis has advantages and risks. GPs reported sharing decisions about investigation and referral whilst holding women’s priorities as pivotal. These conversations were underpinned by their knowledge of uncertainties and unknowns, including the wide spectrum and unpredictability of endometriosis. Conclusion: GPs considerations are more complex than simply lacking awareness. The unknowns surrounding endometriosis matter to GPs. Further research and tailored resources for primary care, where women present with undifferentiated symptoms, are needed.
Summary Background Eczema is a common childhood inflammatory skin condition, affecting more than one in five children. A popular perception is that children ‘outgrow eczema’, although epidemiological studies have shown that, for many, eczema follows a lifelong episodic course. Objectives To explore the perceptions of young people about the nature of their eczema and how these perceptions relate to their self‐care and adapting to living with eczema. Methods This is a secondary inductive thematic analysis of interviews conducted for Healthtalk.org. In total 23 interviews with young people with eczema were included. Of the 23 participants, 17 were female and six male, ranging from 17 to 25 years old. Results Participants generally experienced eczema as an episodic long‐term condition and reported a mismatch between information received about eczema and their experiences. The experience of eczema as long term and episodic had implications for self‐care, challenging the process of identifying triggers of eczema flare‐ups and evaluating the success of treatment regimens. Participants’ experiences of eczema over time also had implications for adaptation and finding a balance between accepting eczema as long term and hoping it would go away. This linked to a gradual shift in treatment expectations from ‘cure’ to ‘control’ of eczema. Conclusions For young people who continue to experience eczema beyond childhood, a greater focus on self‐care for a long‐term condition may be helpful. Greater awareness of the impact of early messages around ‘growing out of’ eczema and provision of high‐quality information may help patients to manage expectations and support adaptation to treatment regimens. What's already known about this topic? There is a common perception that people ‘grow out of’ eczema, but for many people eczema follows a lifelong episodic course. Qualitative work has shown that parents can find that being told their child will grow out of eczema is dismissive, and that they have difficulty with messages about ‘control not cure’ of eczema. It is unclear how young people perceive their eczema and the implications of this perception for their adaptation and self‐care. What does this study add? The message that many people ‘grow out of’ eczema has a potentially detrimental effect for young people where the condition persists. This has implications for young people's perceptions of their eczema, their learning to self‐care and how they adapt to living with eczema and eczema treatments. What are the clinical implications of this work? Clinicians need to promote awareness among young people that eczema is a long‐term episodic condition in order to engage them with effective self‐care. Young people transitioning to self‐care need evidence‐based information that is specific and relatable to them.
Aim To understand the experience of urinary tract infection (UTI) by synthesizing primary qualitative research findings and developing a conceptual model that illustrates this experience. Method A systematic search of Medline, PsychInfo, Embase, and CINAHL from inception to August 2020 to find qualitative research exploring the experience of UTI. Qualitative evidence synthesis in the form of meta‐ethnography was undertaken. Findings are reported in keeping with eMERGe guidance. Results We included 16 qualitative studies in the synthesis of evidence, providing data from over 1038 participants aged 13–97 years. We developed nine themes: the impact of UTI on my whole body; impact on quality of life, activities, and the associated psychological toll; I know my body and my experience has taught me when I need to seek care; worry and the transition to medicalization; antibiotics are a valuable treatment approach; antibiotics are a last resort; being heard, seen, and cared for with dignity; self‐judgment; and the end of the road, a need for information and cure. These themes supported a conceptual model to illustrate the patient experience of UTI. Conclusions The conceptual model communicates the wide and varied symptoms of patients' UTI experiences and how they process this and make care decision based on past health experiences. For some, there appears to be a sense of hopelessness and frustration. This model may be used to highlight the need for improvements in diagnostic and treatment pathways. Future research to further understand the nuances of acute, recurrent, and persistent UTI is needed.
ObjectivesTo explore young people’s experiences of eczema self-management and interacting with health professionals.DesignSecondary qualitative data analysis of data sets from two semistructured interview studies. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.SettingParticipants were recruited from the UK primary care, dermatology departments and a community-based sample (eg, patient representative groups, social media).ParticipantsData included 28 interviews with young people with eczema aged 13–25 years (mean age=19.5 years; 20 female).ResultsAlthough topical treatments were generally perceived as effective, young people expressed doubts about their long-term effectiveness, and concerns around the safety and an over-reliance on topical corticosteroids. Participants welcomed the opportunity to take an active role in their eczema management, but new roles and responsibilities also came with initial apprehension and challenges, including communicating their treatment concerns and preferences with health professionals, feeling unprepared for transition to an adult clinic and obtaining treatments. Decisions regarding whether to engage in behaviours that would exacerbate their eczema (eg, irritants/triggers, scratching) were influenced by young people’s beliefs regarding negative consequences of these behaviours, and perceived control over the behaviour and its negative consequences.ConclusionsBehavioural change interventions must address the treatment concerns of young people and equip them with the knowledge, skills and confidence to take an active role in their own eczema management.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.