Background: Notalgia paresthetica (NP) is a form of neuropathic itch characterized by recurrent itch in the mid back. Much about NP remains unclear, especially the patient experience.
Objectives: The Neuropathic Itch Patient Survey (NIRVE) was a global, online survey conducted to better characterize the symptom burden of neuropathic itch from the patient perspective.
Patients and methods: This report focuses on the symptom burden of the subpopulation of NIRVE participants with a self-reported diagnosis of NP (N = 91). Respondents reported visiting a median of 2 healthcare providers (HCPs) for their symptoms before receiving an accurate diagnosis of NP.
Results: The most common cutaneous symptoms ever experienced were itch/pruritus, sensitive skin, painful or raw skin, numbness, and tingling. The symptoms reported by the most respondents as currently being experienced included itch/pruritus, numbness, painful or raw skin, tingling, and burning or hot sensation. Of patients currently experiencing symptoms, numbness and itch/pruritus were ranked as the most intense, followed by tingling, burning or hot sensation, and then painful or raw skin. Most patients consult multiple healthcare providers (HCPs) before receiving a diagnosis for their condition.
Conclusion: Itch is overwhelmingly the most prevalent symptom of the condition, although half of patients also report experiencing sensitive skin, painful or raw skin, numbness, or tingling.

UNASSIGNED: Understanding patient motivations and expectations of orthognathic surgery are critical aspects of the perioperative assessment, as these factors have been demonstrated to influence patient satisfaction with surgical outcomes.
UNASSIGNED: Consecutive patients undergoing orthognathic surgery by a tertiary oral and maxillofacial surgeon underwent two structured interviews to explore their pre-operative motivations for orthognathic surgery, their post-operative reflections on the surgery and their outcomes. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis.
UNASSIGNED: Eighteen patients were recruited and interviewed preoperatively, and seven completed interviews postoperatively. Pre-operative themes describe patient hopes for aesthetic improvements, socio-emotional improvements, functional improvements and reduced pain, as well as fears about surgical risks, surgical recovery and changing appearance. Post-operative themes describe the challenging recovery process, the absence of regrets and functional, aesthetic and socio-emotional improvements.
UNASSIGNED: Orthognathic surgery patients may be motivated by functional, aesthetic and socio-emotional improvements before surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to understand profiles of topical Voltaren gel diclofenac (VGD) 2.32 and 1.16% consumers through analyzing prescription patterns and to characterize treatment satisfaction, functional impairment, and pain relief after over-the-counter (OTC) VGD use in Sweden under real-world conditions.
METHODS: This observational, real-world study conducted in Sweden had retrospective and prospective segments. The retrospective secondary data segment utilized 12-month diclofenac gel prescription data from the Swedish eHealth Agency (E-hälsomyndigheten). The prospective segment included electronic surveys completed at baseline and weeks 4 and 12 by adult consumers who purchased OTC VGD to treat their pain.
RESULTS: Secondary data analyses (n = 12,145) showed that 56.7% of patients receiving diclofenac gel were females ≥70 years old. Most patients did not switch pain treatments; the mean time between diclofenac gel refills was about 2.5 months. From the surveys (n = 264), VGD provided pain relief, indicated by improvement in 11-point pain numeric rating scale scores. Average pain severity at baseline was 5.8 - improving by a mean of 1.3 and 1.9 points at weeks 4 and 12, respectively. The majority of consumers reported improvement in daily functioning (i.e., health-related quality of life [HRQoL]), and most were at least somewhat satisfied with VGD treatment results.
CONCLUSIONS: This real-world study provides important insights into the prescription patterns of diclofenac gel and the consumer experience with OTC VGD in Sweden. Patients rarely switched to other topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and VGD consumers reported pain relief and improved HRQoL compared to baseline - resulting in treatment satisfaction.

BACKGROUND: Patient experience surveys gather information on various aspects of care via numerous survey items. Identifying the most critical areas of patient experience to prioritize for quality care improvement can be challenging. The objective of this study was to determine which care experience items are the drivers influencing patients\' overall rating of cancer care.
METHODS: Data from 2750 adult patients with cancer from the second wave of the Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences study were analyzed. This cross-sectional survey was conducted in eight Swiss hospitals from September 2021 to February 2022. Stepwise logistic regression examined the relationship between overall care rating and 29 patient experience items covering different patient-centered care dimensions while adjusting for sociodemographic and health variables.
RESULTS: Overall, patients rated their cancer care experience at 8.9 out of 10. Stepwise regression identified seven drivers contributing to overall care rating. The strongest drivers were \"professionals worked well together\" (odds ratio [OR], 4.81) and \"tests were not repeated\" (OR, 2.09) from the coordination and integration dimension, \"offered support for symptoms during treatment\" (OR, 2.11) from the physical comfort dimension, followed by \"hospital staff ensured available home support\" (OR, 1.99), \"offered to see health professional for concerns\" (OR, 1.91), \"treatment options were explained\" (OR, 1.75), and \"involved in treatment decisions as desired\" (OR, 1.68).
CONCLUSIONS: This study evaluated the care experiences of patients with cancer with a comprehensive tool that identified seven key factors independently associated with overall care rating. By concentrating on these areas, hospitals can not only improve the patient care experience but also efficiently allocate resources to quality improvement initiatives.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic and fluctuating disease. Optimal management of AD and related comorbidities requires seamless coordination across multiple layers of the healthcare system. The objective of this survey was to explore patients\' experiences with current management of AD. Out of 251 responders to this anonymous survey, 76% reported to have moderate or severe AD. Sixty-nine percent with moderate and 45% with severe AD were followed up at primary care level only. Use of advanced systemic treatment options was rare, and the majority experienced itch (97%), dry skin, rash, negative impact on self-esteem and comorbidities despite ongoing treatment. Only 36% received a treatment plan, more often in secondary (78.3%) than primary care (25.0%). Forty-three percent did not know who was responsible for their follow-up and 54% felt no one was responsible. Treatment options were commonly not known or understood. The survey results demonstrate undertreatment, lack of a holistic approach for management of AD. A national pathway including clear referral criteria and timelines can streamline management of AD across multiple levels of the healthcare system.

UNASSIGNED: No standardised approach exists to provide advice after urgent suspected cancer (USC) referral when cancer is not found. This study aimed to assess preferences and acceptability of receiving advice after USC referral related to: 1) managing ongoing symptoms, 2) responding to early symptoms of other cancers, 3) cancer screening, 4) reducing risks of future cancer.
UNASSIGNED: 2,541 patients from two English NHS Trusts were mailed a survey 1-3 months after having no cancer found following urgent suspected gastrointestinal or head and neck cancer referral. Participants were asked about: willingness to receive advice; prospective acceptability; preferences related to mode, timing and who should provide advice; and previous advice receipt.
UNASSIGNED: 406 patients responded (16.0%) with 397 in the final analyses. Few participants had previously received advice, yet most were willing to. Willingness varied by type of advice: fewer were willing to receive advice about early symptoms of other cancers (88.9%) than advice related to ongoing symptoms (94.3%). Acceptability was relatively high for all advice types. Reducing the risk of future cancer advice was more acceptable. Acceptability was lower in those from ethnic minority groups, and with lower levels of education. Most participants preferred to receive advice from a doctor; with results or soon after; either face to face or via the telephone.
UNASSIGNED: There is a potential unmet need for advice after USC referral when no cancer is found. Equitable intervention design should focus on increasing acceptability for people from ethnic minority groups and those with lower levels of education.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) is a prevalent cause of permanent vision loss and blindness in the elderly worldwide, with a significant impact on patients\' daily lives. However, burdens related to nAMD from the patients\' perspective have not been well documented. Here we developed a new questionnaire after eliciting nAMD patients\' daily challenges followed by a pilot survey. Seven daily life burden domains were identified, and a quantitative survey was conducted using the questionnaire in the real-world clinic. Of the total 153 participants (mean age, 76.3 ± 8.3 years), 67 (43.8%) had bilateral nAMD, and 79 (52.7%) were classified into severe nAMD according to the best-corrected visual acuity with cut-off value of 0.52 in logMAR. Patients with bilateral and severe nAMD had significantly higher burden scores across all domains. Network models for the bilateral and severe disease subgroups identified the interactions between \"activity of daily living\" and \"hand-eye coordination\" and between \"use of electronic devices\" and \"face recognition\" domains, which were considered to be important burdens for the patients. These results can advance ophthalmologists\' understanding of the impact of nAMD on patients\' daily lives and the importance of active and continuing treatment for patients with nAMD.

BACKGROUND: Patients with fewer socioeconomic and health literacy resources are disadvantaged in their access and use of healthcare, which may give rise to worse experiences with care and thus inequalities in patient experiences. However, only a limited number of studies have examined how socioeconomic and health literacy factors shape inequalities in patients\' experiences with cancer care.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients\' experiences with cancer care differ according to their economic status and health literacy.
METHODS: Secondary analysis of data on 2789 adult patients diagnosed with cancer from the Swiss Cancer Patient Experiences-2 (SCAPE-2) study, a cross-sectional survey conducted in eight hospitals across Switzerland from September 2021 to February 2022. Regression analysis was applied to examine the independent effect of patients\' economic status and health literacy on various outcomes of experiences with cancer care, covering eight different dimensions of patient-centred care, controlling for confounding factors.
RESULTS: Adjusted regression analysis showed that patients with lower economic status reported significantly worse experiences with cancer care in 12 out of 29 specific care experiences, especially in the dimensions of \'respect for patients\' preferences\' and \'physical comfort\' where all items of experiences were associated with economic status. Additionally, lower health literacy was associated with worse patient experiences in 23 specific care experiences. All items in the dimensions of \'respect for patients\' preferences\', \'physical comfort\' and \'emotional support\' were associated with health literacy.
CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed significant inequalities in experiences with cancer care shaped by the economic status and health literacy of patients across different dimensions of patient-centred care. It is essential to address the needs of more disadvantaged patients who face obstacles in their access and use of the healthcare system, not only to mitigate inequalities in cancer care but also to avoid inequalities in health outcomes.

UNASSIGNED: Genetic testing and counselling are critical in assessing breast cancer risk and tailoring treatment strategies. However, several barriers hinder patients from opting for genetic testing/counselling, leading to fewer than one-third of patients undergoing testing and even fewer being offered counselling. A granular understanding of these barriers is essential in overcoming them.
UNASSIGNED: A multinational survey developed by patient authors was conducted in 9 countries, to identify the specific local/regional barriers. The survey question pathway was individualized, based on responses to prior questions. Percentage responses to a response option were calculated based on the total number of respondents to that question. Chi-square tests were used to assess the significance of the results, if applicable.
UNASSIGNED: The final analysis set (FAS) included 1,176 respondents, with a subset of this responding to all questions. In the FAS, 63% of respondents had undergone testing. Among those who got tested, 70% were offered testing. Among untested respondents, only 40% were offered the test but eventually did not get tested. In the tested population, 44% received counselling, which was significantly higher than 7% (p<0.00001) in the untested group. Among those reporting on awareness, 71% reported awareness level between \'very low\' and \'moderate\' prior to cancer diagnosis. Most respondents (71%) agreed that all breast cancer patients should undergo testing before treatment initiation. However, Asian patients were less likely to endorse this view compared to respondents from other regions (25% vs ≥50%; p<0.00001). A higher proportion of tested respondents were \'very willing\' to get their family members tested (44%) versus untested respondents (11%), with relatively higher willingness among Australian (77%) and Russian respondents (56%), the regional variation being statistically significant (p<0.00001).
UNASSIGNED: Critical gaps remain in the access, awareness and perceived value of genetic testing and counselling, with regional variance or difference between the tested and untested groups. Most patients are not offered counselling, which may be associated with the low uptake of testing. Strategic action is needed to drive policy-shaping and improve access to testing and counselling, including raising patient awareness and improving patient experience for better treatment outcomes.

UNASSIGNED: Psoriasis significantly impacts patients\' quality of life (QoL). Dissatisfaction and non-adherence are major barriers associated with topical treatments. A cream based on the polyaphron dispersion (PAD) Technology containing a fixed-dose of calcipotriol (CAL) and betamethasone dipropionate (BDP) was designed for a patient-friendly psoriasis management. The CAL/BDP PAD-cream demonstrated efficacy, convenience, and safety/tolerability in clinical trials.
UNASSIGNED: This research assesses the real-world use, perception, satisfaction, and adherence of CAL/BDP PAD-cream among plaque psoriasis patients.
UNASSIGNED: Between September-November 2023, psoriasis patients from Spain and Germany using or having used CAL/BDP PAD-cream for >2 weeks were recruited via Wefight network to complete a 30-questions online survey. Anonymized results were pooled for descriptive statistical analysis.
UNASSIGNED: The survey was completed by 129 patients (mean age: 43 years; 66% females; mean psoriasis duration: 12 years). Most patients (93%) were satisfied with CAL/BDP PAD-cream. The 66% reported high adherence (visual analogue scale 80-100) and 91% preferred CAL/BDP PAD-cream to their previous topical(s). Patients highlighted its ease/convenience of application, tolerability, and lack of itching/burning.
UNASSIGNED: Psoriasis patients treated with CAL/BDP PAD-cream in a real-world setting show high satisfaction, good adherence, and a positive perception of the product, suggesting that favorable outcomes observed in clinical trials translate to real clinical practice.