THE USE OF FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEW IN THE EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING-SPONDYLITIS

The purpose of this study was to develop some of the focus group discu ssion (FGD) potentialities in order to provide information on patients ' understanding of the origin and management of their medical conditio n. Fifteen ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients (mean age = 32.6 yr an d mean disease duration = 13.4 yr) were selected from the Rheumatic Di sease Unit (RDU) out-patient clinic at Escola Paulista de Medicina, Sa o Paulo, Brazil, to take part in this study. The FGD constituted two s essions, with eight patients in the first and seven in the second. The moderator raised specific questions about the patients' understanding of the pathology, the treatment and how the illness affected their qu ality of life. It was observed through the FGD that patients believed that their illness onset was due to some physical trauma. Clinicians s hould inquire about this tissue to be sure that their individual patie nts do not have this false belief. Also, it is necessary to improve th e methods for early diagnosis and to develop further studies to determ ine and assess the parameters of disease activity. And finally, FGD ma y be of use in establishing a self-help group for individuals with chr onic diseases, such as AS. In conclusion the FGD is an available techn ique that should be used more frequently in medicine to gather global qualitative data.