Breast Cancer: Current Research
Open Access

Medication experience; Factors influencing adherence; Oral-targeted therapy; Lung cancer survivors; Qualitative investigation; Adherence to medication

Introduction

Lung cancer is a significant global health concern, and treatment options have expanded to include oral targeted therapies. These medications offer a personalized approach by targeting specific molecular abnormalities in cancer cells. However, ensuring optimal adherence to these oral medications presents unique challenges compared to traditional treatment modalities such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Understanding the medication experience and identifying the factors that influence adherence among lung cancer survivors taking oral targeted therapies is crucial for improving treatment outcomes and patient quality of life. While quantitative studies have provided valuable insights into medication adherence rates and associated clinical outcomes, qualitative investigations offer a deeper understanding of the patient experience and the complex factors that influence adherence behaviors [1]. By capturing the lived experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of lung cancer survivors, qualitative research can shed light on the challenges they face, as well as the facilitators and barriers to medication adherence. This qualitative investigation aims to explore the medication experience and factors influencing adherence to oral targeted therapy among lung cancer survivors. By engaging participants in individual interviews and focus group discussions, we seek to gather rich, firsthand accounts of their experiences and perspectives. Thematic analysis will be employed to identify recurring themes and patterns, providing a comprehensive understanding of the medication journey from the patients’ viewpoint [2]. The findings of this study will contribute to the existing body of knowledge on medication adherence among lung cancer survivors. By examining the factors that influence adherence behaviors, including social, psychological, and practical aspects, we aim to provide insights that can inform the development of targeted interventions and support strategies. Ultimately, the goal is to enhance medication adherence and improve treatment outcomes for lung cancer survivors receiving oral targeted therapies. Through this qualitative investigation, we aspire to bridge the gap in knowledge and understanding surrounding medication experience and adherence to oral targeted therapy among lung cancer survivors. By addressing these critical areas, we hope to contribute to the development of patient-centered care approaches that empower individuals and maximize the benefits of oral targeted therapies in the management of lung cancer [3].

Methods

Study design: This qualitative investigation utilizes a phenomenological approach to explore the medication experience and factors influencing adherence to oral targeted therapy among lung cancer survivors. The study design aims to capture the participants’ lived experiences and understand the complexities surrounding their medication adherence behaviors.

Participant recruitment: Participants will be recruited from oncology clinics and support groups specializing in lung cancer care. Inclusion criteria will include individuals who have been diagnosed with lung cancer, are currently taking oral targeted therapy as part of their treatment regimen, and have consented to participate in the study.

Data collection: Data will be collected through individual interviews and focus group discussions. Individual interviews will provide participants with a private and comfortable environment to share their personal experiences. Focus group discussions will allow for interactive group dynamics and the exploration of shared perspectives and themes. Notes were made to record important opinions, doubts, interviewees’ expressions, and postures. Subsequently, one repeat interview was carried out to confirm and supplement the points to reach data saturation, and patients underwent repeat interviews were also included in the 23 samples mentioned above.

Interview guide: A semi-structured interview guide will be developed to ensure consistency in data collection while allowing flexibility to explore emergent themes. The interview guide will include open-ended questions related to the participants’ medication experience, challenges faced in adhering to the medication regimen, perceptions of benefits and risks, experiences with side effects, interactions with healthcare providers, and factors influencing medication adherence [4].

Data analysis: Thematic analysis will be employed to analyze the collected data. The researchers will begin by transcribing and familiarizing themselves with the interview and focus group data. They will then identify meaningful units of data, generate initial codes, and organize them into potential themes and sub-themes. Through an iterative process, themes will be refined, reviewed, and validated. The analysis will be conducted by multiple researchers to ensure rigor and minimize bias.

Ethical considerations: This study will adhere to ethical guidelines and obtain necessary approvals from relevant institutional review boards. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants, ensuring their confidentiality, privacy, and voluntary participation. Pseudonyms or unique identifiers will be used to maintain anonymity in reporting the findings.

Rigor and trustworthiness: To enhance the trustworthiness of the findings, various strategies will be employed, including member checking, where participants will be invited to review and validate the interpreted themes. Additionally, peer debriefing and researcher reflexivity will be used to reflect on the researchers’ own biases and preconceptions throughout the data collection and analysis process [5].

Dissemination: The study findings will be disseminated through academic conferences, peer-reviewed journals, and relevant healthcare forums. The information will be shared with healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to inform clinical practice, improve patient support strategies, and contribute to the broader field of oncology care.

Discussion

This learn about published patients’ ride with chronic pores and skin signs and symptoms and the difficulties and desires of sufferers present process focused remedy for the duration of pores and skin ADR management. One preceding learns about discovered that 69% of sufferers with focused remedy had pores and skin ADRs. The most frequent symptom was once rash, which coexisted with more than one pores and skin symptoms. It is pretty clear that pores and skin ADRs must be a splendid situation for sufferers with NSCLC present process focused therapy. The consequences of this learn about confirmed that pores and skin ADR resulted in bodily pain and psychological problems, which confined patients’ each day activities, impaired their social function, and led to a decreased QoL. A find out about reviewed 20 investigations on sufferers with breast most cancers and with centered remedy and concluded that patients’ trip worried bodily signs and emotional problems, which is constant with our study [6]. The most important motive for the influences on bodily and psychological stipulations is the distress of pores and skin symptoms, such as pain, swelling, numbness, itching, dryness, bleeding, exudation, hardening, and elevated pores and skin sensitivity. These signs might also lead to ordinary sensation, sleep disorder, and restrained activity; all of these have an effect on bodily functions. At the identical time, the persistence of symptoms, injury to physique image and terrible have an effect on therapy and prognosis are the major elements main to psychological problems. One find out about confirmed sufferers with pores and skin ADRs suffered from apparent self-perceived burdens, which would possibly no longer solely irritate psychological strain and bad thoughts however additionally complicate the relationship between sufferers and caregiver. Therefore, positive symptom administration and psychological intervention are imperative to improve patients’ psychosomatic functions. In this study, sufferers expressed pressing desires for knowledge, skills, and techniques for pores and skin ADR prevention and management. Taking centered capsules at domestic limits patients’ get entry to scientific services; meanwhile, the cutting-edge health center provider mannequin and the scarcity of human assets cannot meet the desires of patients, all these highlighting the significance of enhancing patients’ self-management. Self-management capacity displays the information and competencies of sufferers in managing ADRs. ADR administration potential is a necessary predictor of drug protection in medical practice. Huang et al. confirmed that exact self-management may want to efficiently adjust the troubles and unfavourable consequences precipitated by using ADR signs of lung cancer treatment [7]. A meta-analysis indicated that sufferers with enough self-management capability had been highquality about mastering information and competencies to deal with ADRs and confirmed much less anxiousness and higher adaptability in disturbing environments. However, the outcomes of this find out about confirmed that the self-management capacity of sufferers must be improved. For this purpose, we can supply guide consisting of carrying out custom-made fitness schooling to meet one-of-a-kind necessities of patients; furnish ability coaching via videos, enforcing on-line courses, and team discussions; grant administration guide for every patient. The guide will encompass specified problem-solving techniques and ADR coping strategies. Adequate and fantastic coping techniques and administration measures are the premise of appropriate self-management. Importantly, the ability of identifying, monitoring, and recording pores and skin ADRs dynamically have to be supplied to patients. The precise warning signs required for the self-identification of pores and skin signs and symptoms must be supplied to patients. Therefore, we need to help sufferers boost a domestic medicine file e book and train them how to reveal and record, such as the time, location, scope, duration, inducing factors, and mitigating factors of pores and skin ADR. Furthermore, some shielding measures ought to be notified to forestall pores and skin ADR. For example, for the hand-foot syndrome, sufferers need to pay interest to hand and foot moisturizing and keep away from direct sunlight, excessive temperature, pressure, pores and skin friction, and trauma. In addition, particular coping techniques must be supplied, such as high-quality medication, dietary support, special techniques to alleviate symptoms, individualized drug dose adjustment via pharmacists, and normal Chinese medication treatment. Larsen et al. used e-health to grant coping techniques for sufferers with most cancers and with oral chemotherapy at home; in this way, they should alter the drug dosage in a well-timed manner in accordance to the severity of ADR and decrease the range of extra clinical visits. The effects confirmed that the e-Health gadget should successfully assist sufferers enhance medicinal drug compliance, make sure drug efficacy and security, and keep away from serious ADRs. Therefore, web-based or home-based measures may additionally be high-quality techniques to promote patients’ self-management.

A find out about investigated the frequency of social interplay and the diploma of social participation of sufferers with breast cancer. The consequences confirmed that the QoL of sufferers was once expanded alongside with higher social participation. Social participation can permit sufferers to talk actively and are looking for assist to alleviate pores and skin ADRs. In addition, social participation can additionally decorate the enthusiasm and self-belief of sufferers and, therefore, minimize their poor emotions. In this study, sufferers confirmed apparent limitations to social participation; the major motives covered impaired physique image, repeated interpretation of pores and skin problems, constrained mobility, and decreased work ability. Patients felt embarrassed and ashamed in social lifestyles and had been unwilling to set up interpersonal relationships. Therefore, interest ought to be given to the social state of affairs of sufferers with most cancers present process focused EGFR-TKI therapy, and we ought to inspire sufferers to take part in social things to do via organizing things to do for patients. Moreover, establishing a new “patient-family” and “patient-friend” interactive verbal exchange mode may additionally permit sufferers to restoration their social self-confidence in interpersonal relationships and social networks [8-11].

Conclusion

This qualitative investigation delved into the medication experience and factors influencing adherence to oral targeted therapy among lung cancer survivors. By engaging participants in individual interviews and focus group discussions, we gained valuable insights into their perspectives, challenges, and facilitators related to medication adherence. The findings of this study revealed several key themes. Participants highlighted the importance of healthcare provider support and clear communication in fostering adherence. They also emphasized the impact of side effects on their adherence behaviors and the need for strategies to manage and mitigate these effects. Financial constraints emerged as a significant barrier, leading to non-adherence in some cases. Social support played a crucial role, with participants highlighting the importance of family, friends, and support groups in providing encouragement and reminders. Additionally, information and education provided by healthcare professionals were influential in shaping participants’ understanding of their medication and its benefits.

Acknowledgment

None

Conflict of Interest

None

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