Patients' opinions on metoprolol, as expressed on the Internet - an exploratory, qualitative study
Journal Title: JOURNAL OF HEALTH POLICY & OUTCOMES RESEARCH - Year 2017, Vol 2, Issue 2
Abstract
Background Use of the Internet in health communication provides an opportunity for more effective discussions, consequently Internet forums are potential sources of drug-related information for the patients. However, we must consider the possibility of misinformation that exists in the virtual environment. We explore patients’ perceptions and attitudes towards metoprolol as stated on the Internet. We equated patients’ opinions published on the Internet with written information available in Poland for patients and physicians. Methods This is an exploratory, qualitative study. Data was analyzed thematically. Themes were identified inductively from the data as described by experts in the field of qualitative studies. To obtain data from a variety of individuals, they were collected from three websites that were publicly available and patient-directed. Results Five themes were identified: weight gain, impact on sleep and mood, interactions between alcohol and drugs, using metoprolol during gestation, and a connection between sexual dysfunction and pharmacotherapy. Patients described their concerns as associated directly with the pharmacotherapy. Patients declared that their physician had no time to explain drug-related problems during the examination. In the Consumer Medicine Information (leaflets), all the information that could prove beneficial for solving a patient's confusion, misinterpretations and concerns, can be found. Conclusions Internet forums are not reliable sources of medicine-related information. Most opinions included in this study presented as poor quality and should be considered potentially risky for the patients and might be unsafe in the field of public health issues. Further study should be based on quantitative methods or triangulation concept.
Authors and Affiliations
Damian Świeczkowski, Piotr Merks, Natalia Cwalina, Miłosz Jaguszewski
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP326202
- DOI 10.7365/JHPOR.2017.2.6
- Views 68
- Downloads 0
Optimization of approaches to the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer wild-type gene KRAS
The results of the literature review of drug use for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) are presented. Analysis of the data showed that cetuximab (Erbitux) and panitumumab (Vectibix) are effective drugs...
Treatment and prevention of bleeding in adult hemophilia A patients with inhibitor – economic analysis.
Hemophilia A is caused by an absence or deficiency of coagulation factor VIII. Patients with hemophilia may experience recurrent spontaneous hemarthroses or internal bleeding. Following the treatment with factor VIII con...
Adoption of Real World Evidence in decision-making processes on public funding of drugs in Poland
Background: The aim of the study was to assess the use and impact of RWE in decision-making processes on public funding of drugs in Poland. Methods: The analysis was based on data from the Agency for Health Technology A...
Economic analysis of Noqturina® (oral lyophilisate) use in the symptomatic treatment of nocturia due to idiopathic nocturnal polyuria
Introduction: Nocturia relates to the need to urinate at night when micturition was preceded by sleep and immediately followed by a period of sleep. The aim of this analysis is to examine the cost-effectiveness of desmo...
Assessment of thrombocytopenia symptoms using vignettes. Preliminary report on the development and implementation of a new instrument
Objective: Our aim was to create a vignette enabling the assessment of the impact of thrombocytopenia symptoms on patients’ quality of life. Methods: The vignettes which we created are focused on thrombocytopenia sym...