Background

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is common and long-term treatment outcomes are unsatisfactory. Qualitative exploration of diagnosis and management from the perspective of people with PFP is lacking.

Objectives

To inform care and improve intervention delivery by exploring the experience of people with PFP regarding diagnosis and management.

Design

Qualitative study with semi-structured interviews.

Method

Online recruiting yielded a convenience sample of participants with PFP for semi-structured interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed using thematic analysis until theoretical saturation by multiple investigators to determine themes and sub-themes.

Results

12 participants were interviewed, with three themes identified; the value of diagnosis, the need for tailored (individualised) care, and the role of education. Participants viewed receiving a diagnosis as essential to guide management, yet one was rarely provided, causing uncertainty about pain mechanisms; “it's nice to be told what it is that's wrong”. Interventions needed to be tailored to the individual as not all participants responded in the same way to treatment(s) or had the same needs; “everyone copes and reacts differently”. Finally, participants viewed education as essential to empower them to understand and manage the condition; “if I'd have been given more information, I think I'd know how to deal with it more”.

Conclusions

The overarching narrative from three themes was a desire for clearly communicated personalised care that meets individual needs. People with PFP desire a diagnosis to explain their pain, tailored interventions, and appropriate education to optimise their experience and outcomes.

中文翻译：

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髌股关节疼痛诊断和治疗的患者体验：定性探索

背景

髌股关节疼痛 (PFP​​) 很常见，长期治疗效果不理想。缺乏从 PFP 患者的角度对诊断和管理的定性探索。

目标

通过探索 PFP 患者在诊断和管理方面的经验，为护理提供信息并改善干预措施。

设计

半结构化访谈的定性研究。

方法

在线招聘为半结构化面试的 PFP 参与者提供了方便的样本。采访被记录，逐字转录，并使用主题分析进行分析，直到由多个调查员理论饱和以确定主题和子主题。

结果

采访了 12 名参与者，确定了三个主题；诊断的价值、量身定制（个性化）护理的需求以及教育的作用。参与者认为接受诊断对于指导管理至关重要，但很少提供诊断，从而导致疼痛机制的不确定性；“很高兴被告知这是错误的”。干预措施需要针对个人量身定制，因为并非所有参与者都以相同的方式对治疗做出反应或具有相同的需求；“每个人的应对方式和反应都不一样”。最后，参与者认为教育对于使他们能够理解和管理病情至关重要；“如果我得到更多的信息，我想我会更知道如何处理它”。

结论

三个主题的总体叙述是对满足个人需求的清晰沟通的个性化护理的渴望。PFP 患者希望通过诊断来解释他们的疼痛、量身定制的干预措施和适当的教育，以优化他们的体验和结果。