“How happy are the patients and caregivers?”: Humanistic Burden of neovascular age related macular degeneration
Kauranen, Riitta (2019)
Kauranen, Riitta
2019
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201905037499
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-201905037499
Tiivistelmä
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) causes 8,7% of all blindness worldwide and is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries, particularly in people older than 60 years. The prevalence of AMD is increasing due to the fast growing aging population of the world. It is estimated that there will be nearly 30 million AMD patients by 2040. The treatment for the nonvascular type of AMD (nAMD) has significantly changed and advanced during the last decade. New anti-vascular growth factor, (anti-VEGF) ocular injections have replaced old therapies. Patients have now an effective treatment, which can prevent AMD related blindness and even restore vision.
The aim of this study is to explore how patients, their caregivers and health care professionals do experience the treatments and the connected humanistic burden. More particularly, this study is looking into the research and studies done on the humanistic burden caused connected to current AMD treatment. Therefore, this study is a literature review exploring this topic.
This literature review was conducted by carefully selecting the search words, searching relevant databases and selecting the studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The search yielded very few results thus each selected study is reported separately in this review.
AMD is a chronic and progressive disease; the treatments are expensive and regular injections in the eye. Treatments can continue many years even as often as monthly. nAMD is associated with major economic burden. Moreover, the research results show that the frequent treatments, older patient population, declining vision combined with other diseases and travel to treatment center are a major burden for patients and those assisting and caring for patients. The review shows that nAMD deteriorates patients and caregivers quality of life; it causes anxiety and depression to both parties even if treatment is successful and appreciated by patients and their caregivers. In the light of the reviewed studies, nAMD treatments limit patients social and physical functioning and contacts. Furthermore, this review highlighted the need to explore and understand the treatment from patients and caregivers perspective and take into consideration national differences. In addition, there is almost no recent research on the huge burden to health care professionals caused by nAMD treatments.
The aim of this study is to explore how patients, their caregivers and health care professionals do experience the treatments and the connected humanistic burden. More particularly, this study is looking into the research and studies done on the humanistic burden caused connected to current AMD treatment. Therefore, this study is a literature review exploring this topic.
This literature review was conducted by carefully selecting the search words, searching relevant databases and selecting the studies fulfilling the inclusion criteria. The search yielded very few results thus each selected study is reported separately in this review.
AMD is a chronic and progressive disease; the treatments are expensive and regular injections in the eye. Treatments can continue many years even as often as monthly. nAMD is associated with major economic burden. Moreover, the research results show that the frequent treatments, older patient population, declining vision combined with other diseases and travel to treatment center are a major burden for patients and those assisting and caring for patients. The review shows that nAMD deteriorates patients and caregivers quality of life; it causes anxiety and depression to both parties even if treatment is successful and appreciated by patients and their caregivers. In the light of the reviewed studies, nAMD treatments limit patients social and physical functioning and contacts. Furthermore, this review highlighted the need to explore and understand the treatment from patients and caregivers perspective and take into consideration national differences. In addition, there is almost no recent research on the huge burden to health care professionals caused by nAMD treatments.