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Introduction: Homeopathy is one of most widely used non-conventional supportive care methods used by women with breast cancer. This article aims to describe the routines and practices related to homeopathy as supportive care used by women with non-metastatic breast cancer in France. Methods: This qualitative study used Grounded Theory. Participants were women with early breast cancer and healthcare professionals (General Practitioner homeopaths & oncologists). Inclusion depended on specific criteria and the aim of theoretical sampling until data saturation. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and focus groups following evolving topic guides. Transcribed interviews underwent in-depth thematic analysis. Inclusion, interviewing, transcription and coding occurred iteratively. Data was reported according to COREQ guidelines. Results: The therapeutic agency of homeopathy was distributed to different actors and ritualized material activities highly involving the patient. The choice of remedy was mostly delegated by patients to General Practitioner homeopaths (GPH) during consultations. Individualization, that is to say adaptation to the patient, differed from other modes of access to homeopathy (self-medication and oncologists). Self-medication was mostly limited to known products in a limited time frame. However, we identified a supported self-medication using trusted homeopathic protocols. Following homeopathic prescriptions involves a high level of commitment on behalf of the patient and follows different rules for homeopathy intake. This knowledge was either acquired earlier for users or discovered along breast cancer treatment for non-users. Taking homeopathy involved small daily actions for intake of different products at different times of the day. New users used strategies to ease the integration of homeopathy into their daily life. The stance toward such rules differed among patients. Some followed rules to optimize their effects while others simplified the rules and took those rituals as part of homeopathy benefits. Conclusion: Homeopathy as supportive care in breast cancer is distributed toward different actors and ritualized activities. Homeopathy is a supported practice where GPH played a role in the prescription. Health Literacy in homeopathy played a role to ease its integration into daily life and identify the potential benefits. The high involvement of patients in their homeopathic treatment is a form of treatment reappropriation and empowerment.

In total, 679 HIV-positive patients from 4 clinics in Urumqi city were given structured questionnaires by the doctors or nurses treating them. Health-related quality of life (HRQL) was assessed using the Chinese Patient-Reported Outcome Quality of Life-HIV questionnaire versions in Mandarin and Uyghur. This tool has been used in other parts of China and several countries. Compared to France, Australia, United States, Brazil, Thailand, Cambodia, Senegal, and Central-Southern China (CS China), the HRQL was significantly lower among HIV-positive patients in Xinjiang, with regard to the dimension of treatment impact and general health score. The health concern was similar to Brazil and Cambodia but lower than other countries and CS China. Our findings showed high stigmatization: 86% of the patients were afraid to tell others they were HIV positive and 69% often felt or always felt depressed. Only 1% of the patients were on antidepressant treatment.

Background: Long-term therapeutic adherence remains an essential challenge for better management of chronic diseases. It is estimated at 50% in developed countries. Objective: The study aimed to evaluate, under real conditions, the influence of satisfaction with Flexig use on adherence to subcutaneous immunoglobulin home-treatment therapy in a sample of French patients with chronic dysimmune diseases. Methods: This is a 2-year prospective cohort involving 241 patients from several hospitals in France whose data were extracted from the Flexig 2.0 mHealth application. Satisfaction was assessed by System Usability Scale (SUS) and user experience by User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ). Adherence to Ig therapy was assessed by medication possession rate. We analyzed the relationship between Flexig user satisfaction and adherence to treatment, as well as determinants of adherence. Results: Most patients (82.7%) were being treated for an immunodeficiency, versus 17.3% for a chronic autoimmune and inflammatory disease. Almost all patients (97.9%) received subcutaneous immunoglobulin therapy. The patients’ ages (means ± SDs) were 36.5 ± 18.3 years, disease duration was about 6 years, and 58.5% were men. Flexig user satisfaction was 76.2 ± 8 (System Usability Scale), associated with good user experience reported on UEQ. Adherence rate was 99.7%. Time on app, disease duration, and Flexig user satisfaction were statistically predictive of adherence to IgG therapy. High adherence to Ig therapy was associated with good satisfaction with using Flexig (P < .0001). Conclusion: Adherence to Ig therapy in chronic dysimmune disease was strong and was associated with good satisfaction among Flexig users, suggesting that electronic support may be a valuable compliance aid.

Objective: The overall aim of this study is to create an item pool reflecting the cognitive concerns expressed by people with HIV as a first step toward developing such a measure., Method: Semiqualitative interviews with 292 people with HIV were carried out. Their concerns were mapped to neurocognitive domains to identify concern content areas and were compared with existing cognitive questionnaires. A questionnaire was developed to estimate the prevalence and importance of the items., Results: Sixty of 125 items were retained in the questionnaire based on ratings of their prevalence, importance, and clarity. Memory and behavioral and emotional concerns were the most common content areas (15 each); other domains were attention (7), executive function (6), language (5), and cognitive change (12)., Conclusion: People living with HIV experience difficulties in all domains of cognition. By recognizing all domains, this new measure can help clinicians better understand areas of perceived cognitive difficulty and plan interventions accordingly., (Copyright © 2018 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.)