Acromegaly and the information gap: patient perceptions of the journey from primary to tertiary care

Abstract

Objective: Acromegaly is a rare condition and there is often a long path to diagnosis for many patients. We sought to explore patient’s perceptions a nd understanding of acromegaly, to examine the quality of communication and find gap s in the information provided at diagnosis. Design: A prospective study using qualitative research methodology and grounded theory. A semi-structured interview was conducted with 18 patie nts treated for acromegaly in a single tertiary centre and verbatim transcripts were thematically analysed for overarching themes. Results: Eighteen patients with acromegaly were interviewed. The mean a ge of participants was 52 (range 30–72). Four overarching themes emerged; (1) Patients rely on online resources to understand acromegaly in the time between d iagnosis and tertiary care clinic; (2) There is not enough support available for pati ents; (3) Patients have a basic understanding of acromegaly and associated conditions, bu t the long-term impact is underestimated; and (4) Patients initially felt intimidated by the multidisciplinary team panel, but overall found it useful. Conclusion: Acromegalic patients have a strong need for information at the point of initial diagnosis, in particular online resources and interaction with other experienced patients. Wider dissemination of patient educational resources into prima ry and secondary care settings may improve overall patient satisfaction, treatment ad herence and subsequent health care provider–patient relationships.

Keywords

• acromegaly
• long-term impact
• qualitative
• patient perspective