Assessing Patient Values and Preferences to Inform the 2023 American College of Rheumatology/American College of Chest Physicians Interstitial Lung Disease Guidelines

Objective

Patient engagement is critical to clinical practice guideline (CPG) development. This work presents our approach to ascertaining patients’ values and preferences to inform the American College of Rheumatology guidelines for screening, monitoring, and treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in people with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs).

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study of a purposefully sampled Patient Panel using a modified content analytic approach. The study team reviewed text transcripts from the Patient Panel discussion to identify themes and develop a clustered thematic schema.

Results

Twenty-one patients (75% women) participated, with a mean age of 53 years (range 33–73). Patients had one or more SARDs: systemic sclerosis (38%), Sjögren disease (38%), idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (33%), rheumatoid arthritis (24%), and mixed connective tissue disease (10%). We identified 10 themes in 4 thematic clusters: communication, screening and monitoring, treatment goals, and treatment adverse effects. Patients prioritized recognizing ILD symptoms, importance of ILD screening and close monitoring, goals of survival and improving quality of life, and willingness to accept treatment risks provided that there is close communication with providers. Patient representatives shared patients’ priorities and insight at the Voting Panel meeting, influencing multiple guideline recommendations.

Conclusion

Patient engagement fosters a holistic approach to CPG development, leading to recommendations aiming for the best clinical outcomes while prioritizing outcomes important for patients. The patient-identified themes played a critical role in ILD guideline development and provide core elements for shared decision-making as clinicians make management and therapeutic decisions with patients with SARD-associated ILD.