‘Advocacy groups are the connectors’: Experiences and contributions of rare disease patient organization leaders in advanced neurotherapeutics

• Published in: Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy Vol. 25; no. 6; pp. 3175 - 3191
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Christina Q., Kariyawasam, Didu, Alba‐Concepcion, Kristine, Grattan, Sarah, Hetherington, Kate, Wakefield, Claire E., Woolfenden, Susan, Dale, Russell C., Palmer, Elizabeth E., Farrar, Michelle A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Access to information; advanced therapeutics; Advocacy; Analysis; Caregivers; Child; Clinical research; Clinical trials; Collaboration; Conflicts of interest; Connectors; Consent; Data; Data collection; Data exchange; Decision making; Discourse analysis; Electronic components industry; Email; Health Literacy; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health risks; Humans; Information resources; Information sharing; Information sources; Intervention; Interviews; Nervous system diseases; Neurological diseases; Neurology; Original; paediatric neurology; patient advocacy; Patients; Pediatrics; precision medicine; Psychosocial factors; Psychosocial support; Qualitative analysis; Qualitative research; Questionnaires; Questions; Rare diseases; Rare Diseases - therapy; Regulatory approval; Simplification; Statistical analysis; Surveys and Questionnaires; Australia; paediatric neurology; rare diseases; precision medicine; patient advocacy; advanced therapeutics
• ISSN: 1369-6513; 1369-7625
• DOI: 10.1111/hex.13625

Introduction Biomedical progress has facilitated breakthrough advanced neurotherapeutic interventions, whose potential to improve outcomes in rare neurological diseases has increased hope among people with lived experiences and their carers. Nevertheless, gene, somatic cell and other advanced neurotherapeutic interventions carry significant risks. Rare disease patient organizations (RDPOs) may enhance patient experiences, inform expectations and promote health literacy. However, their perspectives are understudied in paediatric neurology. If advanced neurotherapeutics is to optimize RDPO contributions, it demands further insights into their roles, interactions and support needs. Methods We used a mixed‐methodology approach, interviewing 20 RDPO leaders representing paediatric rare neurological diseases and following them up with two online surveys featuring closed and open‐ended questions on advanced neurotherapeutics (19/20) and negative mood states (17/20). Qualitative and quantitative data were analysed using thematic discourse analysis and basic descriptive statistics, respectively. Results Leaders perceived their roles to be targeted at educational provision (20/20), community preparation for advanced neurotherapeutic clinical trials (19/20), information simplification (19/20) and focused research pursuits (20/20). Although most leaders perceived the benefits of collaboration between stakeholders, some cited challenges around collaborative engagement under the following subthemes: conflicts of interest, competition and logistical difficulties. Regarding neurotherapeutics, RDPO leaders identified support needs centred on information provision, valuing access to clinician experts and highlighting a demand for co‐developed, centralized, high‐level and understandable, resources that may improve information exchange. Leaders perceived a need for psychosocial support within themselves and their communities, proposing that this would facilitate informed decision‐making, reduce associated psychological vulnerabilities and maintain hope throughout neurotherapeutic development. Conclusion This study provides insights into RDPO research activities, interactions and resource needs. It reveals a demand for collaboration guidelines, central information resources and psychosocial supports that may address unmet needs and assist RDPOs in their advocacy. Patient or Public Contribution In this study, RDPO leaders were interviewed and surveyed to examine their perspectives and roles in advanced neurotherapeutic development. Some participants sent researchers postinterview clarification emails regarding their responses to questions.