Exploring Patients' Lived Experiences with New Drug Therapies for Chronic Illnesses: Understanding Perceptions, Emotional Reactions, and Social Impacts
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Abstract
The increasing reliance on pharmaceutical treatments has highlighted the need to better understand the subjective experiences of patients using new medications. While clinical studies have focused on the effectiveness of these drugs, little is known about how patients perceive, emotionally react to, and psychologically cope with their treatment regimens. Existing research often overlooks the emotional and psychological impacts that influence patients’ engagement with medication, as well as the social support that may mitigate negative responses. This study seeks to fill this gap by exploring the lived experiences of patients using new drugs for chronic conditions. Here, we employed an interpretative phenomenological approach to investigate how patients perceive the efficacy of their treatment, cope with side effects, and interact with their social environment during the treatment process. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 patients, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis to uncover key themes related to emotional reactions, psychological coping strategies, social support systems, and treatment outcomes. The findings revealed that patients' emotional responses to side effects and the social support they receive from family, friends, and healthcare providers significantly influenced their perceptions of treatment success. These results provide valuable insights into the complexities of medication adherence and patient engagement, suggesting that a more holistic approach to treatment, which incorporates both emotional well-being and clinical dimensions, is essential. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of patient experiences, emphasizing the importance of emotional and social factors in treatment engagement, and has implications for future research aimed at improving patient-centered care and enhancing treatment outcomes.
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