Young patients with arthritis aspire to have ‘normal’ lives

A sustainable balance between the emotional, social and vocational aspects of treatment with young patients between the ages of 16 and 25 years with arthritis

“Young people can have severe arthritis, warranting aggressive treatment, but may find such regimens a struggle to sustain. Encouraging them to talk about the difficulties they may encounter, as well as the more positive outcomes of treatment, is essential if they are to make decisions they can see through” Ruth Hart, BA, MA, study author, said in a press release.

In-depth interviews were conducted with 25 young patients with arthritis, 11 “trusted others,” including parents and six health care professionals involved with the care of young patients aged 16 years to 25 years with arthritis and included four audio recordings of consultations with patients about biologic therapies. Techniques for analysis included those from grounded theory.

Young patients viewed treatment for arthritis as both opportunities for and threats leading to living a “normal” life, which was identified as the most commonly desired outcome by patients. Both health care providers and those described as “trusted others” expressed concerns that young patients with arthritis were more focused on short-term outcomes rather than long-term outcomes.

The researchers suggested physicians encourage young patients with arthritis to express concerns and expectations for treatment as “the social context in which young patients make decisions about managing their disease differs from older patients and may have a profound effect on decision-making.” – by Shirley Pulawski

Disclosure: Hart reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.

Published by:

Sources/Disclosures

Collapse

Source:

Hart R, et al. Arth Care Res. 2016;doi: 10.1002/acr.22832.