SynthesisBMJ open2019
The Experience of people with rheumatoid arthritis living with fatigue: a qualitative metasynthesis.
Synthesis in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Instruments for measuring fatigue in people with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases: a systematic review of measurement properties.RMD open · 2025Pooled it
- A Meta-Synthesis of the Experience of Chronic Temporomandibular Disorder Patients Within Health Care ServicesJournal of oral & facial pain and headache · 2023Pooled it
- A Systematic Review of Job Loss Prevention Interventions for Persons with Inflammatory Arthritis.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2021Pooled it
- Smartphone Apps Targeting Physical Activity in People With Rheumatoid Arthritis: Systematic Quality Appraisal and Content Analysis.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2020Pooled it
- High-intensity exercise improves multidimensional fatigue and health-related quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized controlled study.Arthritis research & therapy · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Moderate-to-high intensity exercise with person-centered guidance influences fatigue in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis.Rheumatology international · 2019Trial
- Article
- Illness Experiences of Young Women With Rheumatoid Arthritis in South Korea.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2026Article
- Healthcare Professionals' Experiences with Vocational Rehabilitation for People with Inflammatory Arthritis.Journal of occupational rehabilitation · 2026Article
- Molding the Pain into Porcelain: The Silent Resilience of Arthritic Hands in Hong Kong's Ceramic Studios.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- A phenomenological study of fatigue experience in community-dwelling older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- "A machine that won't shut down, a clogged pipe": a qualitative study on the lived experience and integrative coping strategies of Chinese cancer patients with insomnia and cognitive impairment.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Article
- Translation, validity and reliability of the Turkish Chronic Illness Job Strain Scale (CIJSS) in people with inflammatory arthritis.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2026Article
- Managing fatigue in inflammatory arthritis: a real-world evaluation of program length and delivery.Rheumatology advances in practice · 2026Article
- Preferences regarding technology to unobtrusively monitor symptoms in rheumatoid arthritis: a qualitative study using focus group discussions.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Hidden disabilities in patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease: an invisible barrier to daily functioning and healthcare accessibility.EULAR rheumatology open · 2025Article
- Fatigue patterns surrounding biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drug injection in patients with an inflammatory rheumatic disease: an ecological momentary assessment study.Rheumatology international · 2025Article
- Fatigue and associated factors among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in China: a cross-sectional study.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Article
- "Excluding Myself From What I Need the Most": Experiences of Loneliness in People With Inflammatory Arthritis: A Qualitative Study.International journal of rheumatic diseases · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo identify, appraise and synthesise qualitative studies on the experience of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)-related fatigue.
methodsWe conducted a qualitative metasynthesis encompassing a systematic literature search in February 2017, for studies published in the past 15 years, in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, SveMed, PsychINFO and Web of Science. To be included, the studies had to report the experience of living with fatigue among adults with RA. The analysis and synthesis followed Malterud's systematic text condensation.
resultsEight qualitative articles were included, based on 212 people with RA (69% women) and aged between 20 and 83 years old. The synthesis resulted in the overall theme 'A vicious circle of an unpredictable symptom'. In addition, the synthesis derived four subthemes: 'being alone with fatigue'; 'time as a challenge'; 'language as a tool for increased understanding' and 'strategies to manage fatigue'. Fatigue affects all areas of everyday life for people with RA. They strive to plan and prioritise, pace, relax and rest. Furthermore, they try to make use of a variety of words and metaphors to explain to other people that they experience that RA-related fatigue is different from normal tiredness. Despite this, people with RA-related fatigue experience feeling alone with their symptom and they develop their own strategies to manage fatigue in their everyday life.
conclusionsThe unpredictability of RA-related fatigue is dominant, pervasive and is experienced as a vicious circle, which can be described in relation to its physical, cognitive, emotional and social impact. It is important for health professionals to acknowledge and address the impact of fatigue on the patients' everyday lives. Support from health professionals to manage fatigue and develop strategies to increase physical activity and maintain work is important for people with RA-related fatigue.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.