Reasons for Refusing Parenteral Therapy: A Qualitative Study of Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Abstract

Most studies that explore why patients accept or deny treatment are from the healthcare provider (HCP) perspective, particularly in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). This study sought to understand, directly from the PAH patient, why they refuse parenteral therapy (PAR), and in some cases later reverse that decision. METHODS: Double-blinded interviews were conducted with 25 PAH patients who refused treatment with a PAR within the course of their disease. Patients were recruited through two third-party recruiting agencies focused on rare diseases including PAH, and 45-minute interviews were completed (23 Oct 2019-26 Nov 2019). Respondents were divided into two groups: those who refused PAR and never initiated it (Group A) and those who initially refused PAR but subsequently tried it (Group B). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed on the data.