Experience of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Qualitative Study of a Nurse-Led Clinic

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an extremely prevalent chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease. This study explores the experiences of patients with RA under nurse-led care, the roles that nurses play, and the outcomes achieved when applying the patient-centered care (PCC) approach. A purposive sample of 12 participants who had been diagnosed with RA for at least 1 year were recruited from a nurse-led rheumatology clinic. They were also receiving treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. All of the participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the care they received in the nurse-led clinic, along with high levels of medication adherence. The nurses were highly accessible to the participants, and they regularly communicated information regarding their symptoms, medication, and treatment management. These findings illustrate the importance of the holistic care that nurses provide to their patients, as the participants agreed that nurse-led services could have a wider outreach in hospitals and the community.