Why do patients struggle with their medicines?-A phenomenological hermeneutical study of how patients experience medicines in their everyday lives

Joanne M Fuller; Emmelie Barenfeld; Inger Ekman

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255478

Why do patients struggle with their medicines?-A phenomenological hermeneutical study of how patients experience medicines in their everyday lives

PLoS One. 2021 Aug 6;16(8):e0255478. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255478. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Joanne M Fuller^{1

2}, Emmelie Barenfeld^{1

2

3}, Inger Ekman^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
² Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
³ Department of Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy, The Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Abstract

Why do so many people struggle with their medicines despite decades of research on medicines taking? Research into how people experience medicines in their everyday life remains scarce with the majority of research in this area of focusing on whether or not people take their medicines as prescribed. Hence, this study used a phenomenological hermeneutical qualitative design to gain a deeper understanding of individuals' perspectives on the lived experience of medicine-taking. Findings from this study highlight five main themes where participants experience medicines as: 1) life-saving and indispensable, 2) normal and a daily routine, 3) confusing and concerning, 4) unsuitable without adjustment, and 5) intrusive and unwelcome. These results can be the basis for mutually agreed prescribing through a co-creative approach that aims at enhancing open and honest dialogues between patients and healthcare professionals in partnership about medicines.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Attitude to Health*
Female
Humans
Male
Medication Adherence / psychology*
Medication Adherence / statistics & numerical data*
Medication Therapy Management / statistics & numerical data*
Middle Aged
Pharmaceutical Preparations / administration & dosage*
Qualitative Research
Self Administration / psychology*

Substances

Pharmaceutical Preparations

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation (DNr. 20180183, Principal Investigator (PI) Inger Ekman (IE), https://www.hjart-lungfonden.se/om-oss/in-english/; The Swedish Research Council (DNr. 2017-01230), PI IE, https://www.vr.se/english.html; The Centre for Person-Centred Care at the University of Gothenburg (GPCC), Sweden, PI IE, https://www.gu.se/en/gpcc; and The Hjalmar Svensson Foundation, Sweden (HJSV2020090), Main-applicant JF. The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.