A thematic analysis of patients’ experiences of receiving treatment for Neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD)

Abstract Background/Objectives A positive patient experience is a key element of quality healthcare but data on the patient experience is rarely collected as part of routine care. This study analysed survey and discussion group comments from patients treated for neovascular AMD (nAMD) treatment to identify key elements of the patient experience. Subjects/Methods Free text comments from an online Macular Society member survey and quotes from subsequent, local, in-person patient discussion groups were reviewed. Thematic analysis was used to code the responses and to identify major themes. Results Analysis include 167 free text comments from Macular Society members and quotes from 2 local discussion groups, with patients and their carers. Key themes, important for the patient experience, included: time and availability of appointments, accessibility and duration of clinic visits, the delivery and quality of care, communication and access to written information and confidence in the healthcare team. Conclusions Feedback from patients with nAMD and their carers identified a number of key themes that are associated with either a positive or negative patient experience. Construction of an appropriate patient-reported experience measure and collection of data, either locally or nationally, would help identify areas of the care pathway where improvements may be necessary. Improving the patient experience may encourage adherence to and persistence with treatment and the outcomes.