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Decision Aid-Led Tapering of Biologic and Targeted Synthetic Disease-Modifying Antirheumatic Drugs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study
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DOI：10.3899/jrheum.2024-0383.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Objective. To explore the experiences and perspectives of patients and rheumatologists on decision aid (DA)-led tapering of advanced therapy in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. Semistructured interviews were completed with patients and rheumatologists, embedded within a pilot study of DA-led tapering (ie, dose reduction) of biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) in RA. All patients were in sustained (>= 6 mos) remission and had chosen to reduce their therapy after a DA-led shared decision with their rheumatologist.The rheumatologists included those participating in the pilot (n = 4), and those who were not (n = 8). Reflexive thematic analysis of audiotaped and transcribed interviews identified themes in the group experiences. Results. Patients (n = 10, 6 female) unanimously found the DA easy to understand and felt confident in shared decision making about treatment tapering and managing flares. Rheumatologists' (n = 12, 5 female) perspectives on tapering bDMARDs and tsDMARDs varied widely, from very supportive to completely opposed, and influenced their views on the DA. Rheumatologists expressed concerns about patient comprehension, destabilizing a stable situation, risks of flare, and extending appointment times. Despite their initial reservations about sending the DA to all eligible patients ahead of appointments, 3 of 4 participating rheumatologists adopted this approach during the pilot, which had the benefit of facilitating patient-led conversations. Conclusion. A DA-led strategy for tapering advanced therapy in RA was acceptable to patients and feasible in practice. Sending patients a DA ahead of their appointment facilitated patient-led conversations about tapering.
Keywords:
biologic DMARDs
decision aid
patient experience
qualitative
rheumatoid arthritis
targeted synthetic DMARDs
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