PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Chen, Yao
AU  - Zhang, Yuehua
AU  - Zheng, Qianlian
AU  - Sun, Lei
TI  - Lived experiences and insights of Chinese patients with symptomatic osteoporosis on a patient-reported outcome (PRO) programme: a qualitative phenomenological study in Southwest China
AID  - 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-087480
DP  - 2025 Apr 01
TA  - BMJ Open
PG  - e087480
VI  - 15
IP  - 4
4099  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/4/e087480.short
4100  - http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/4/e087480.full
SO  - BMJ Open2025 Apr 01; 15
AB  - Objectives To explore the lived experiences of patients with symptomatic osteoporosis on a patient-reported outcomes (PROs) programme for symptom management and quality of life (QoL) improvement.Design This is a qualitative phenomenological study.Participants 14 active participants in the PROs programme were recruited and interviewed through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. Colaizzi’s seven-step method was employed for thematic analysis.Results Four overarching themes and two sub-themes emerged, including (1) varied perceptions of the PROs programme, where some participants found it beneficial for tracking symptoms while others cited challenges such as technological barriers and lack of actionable outcomes; (2) PROs as a tool for enhancing communication and facilitating appointments by enabling more efficient doctor–patient interactions and quicker scheduling; (3) emotional support provided by regular doctor–patient communication, with sub-themes of fostering a sense of belonging and offering psychological comfort; and (4) limitations of remote communication, highlighting challenges in addressing complex medical needs and providing immediate solutions for medication adjustments.Conclusions PROs programmes facilitate symptom tracking, enhance communication and provide emotional support for patients with osteoporosis. However, limitations such as technological barriers and reliance on remote communication must be addressed. Ethical considerations, including potential over-reporting of symptoms to expedite care, require careful management. Future research should include patients who discontinue participating in the PROs programme prematurely and the perspectives of healthcare providers to provide a more balanced, comprehensive understanding.Data are available upon reasonable request. The original audio recordings are not to be shared due to institutional privacy protection policy. The patient-reported outcome questionnaire and data analysed in the current study are available on reasonable request to the corresponding author.