Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39777948›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of health psychology2025

Characteristics of refractory disease and persistent symptoms in inflammatory arthritis: Qualitative framework analysis of interviews with patients and health care professionals.

Hema Chaplin, Carol Simpson, Kate Wilkins, Jessica Meehan, Nora Ng, James Galloway, Ian C Scott, Debajit Sen, Rachel Tattersall, Rona Moss-Morris and 2 more

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Article in British journal of health psychology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Hema ChaplinHealth Psychology Section, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9402-9669
Carol SimpsonCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Inflammation Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
Kate WilkinsCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Inflammation Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
Jessica MeehanHealth Psychology Section, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Nora NgGuy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
James GallowayCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Inflammation Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
Ian C ScottPrimary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Keele, UK.
Debajit SenUniversity College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
Rachel TattersallSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK.
Rona Moss-MorrisHealth Psychology Section, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Heidi LemppCentre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Inflammation Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
Sam NortonHealth Psychology Section, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-1714-9963

Funding

MQ: Transforming Mental HealthNIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre IS-BRC-1215-20018Versus Arthritis
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThis study aims to explore patients' and clinicians' understanding and experiences of refractory disease (RD) and persistent physical and emotional symptoms (PPES) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA), namely rheumatoid arthritis or polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis from their perspectives through interviews and/or focus groups.

designA qualitative study was conducted, following a pragmatic epistemology approach with framework analysis employed.

methodsSemi-structured interviews or focus groups with IA patients (n = 25) and multi-disciplinary rheumatology HCPs (n = 32) were conducted at one time point to obtain participants respective understanding and experiences of managing RD/PPES, and its impact on the patient-professional relationship.

resultsThree key themes were identified from both patients and professionals' experiences of RD/PPES: (1) relevant treatment experiences, (2) symptoms (with or without inflammation) and (3) impact: physical, psychological and social. These themes included 28 specific categories that would be considered as components characterizing RD/PPES, most common to both patients and HCPs with six being patient-specific and only one HCP-specific. The specific biopsychosocial symptoms and impacts of RD/PPES pertain to pain, fatigue, stiffness, joint involvement and physical, psychological and social functioning and quality of life, covering disease-related distress, mobility and independence. Wider influential factors such as comorbidities, non-adherence, health/medication beliefs and behaviours and social support were also identified.

conclusionCommon persistent symptoms that have both mental and physical impact characterize RD/PPES in IA and therefore a more integrated holistic approach to treatment is needed from multi-disciplinary HCPs, including health psychologists.

Indexed as

Arthritis, JuvenileArthritis, RheumatoidAttitude of Health PersonnelAttitude to HealthAdolescentAdultAgedFemaleFocus GroupsHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedPatient Education as TopicProfessional-Patient RelationsQualitative Researchinflammatory arthritismulti‐disciplinary health care professionalspersistent symptomsqualitativerefractory disease

Identifiers

PMID39777948
PMCPMC11707814

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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.