Understanding disease symptoms and impacts and producing qualitatively-derived severity stages for MPS IIIA: a mixed methods approach

TY - JOUR

T1 - Understanding disease symptoms and impacts and producing qualitatively-derived severity stages for MPS IIIA: a mixed methods approach

AU - Lanar, Sally

AU - Parker, Samantha

AU - O'Neill, Cara

AU - Marrel, Alexia

AU - Arnould, Benoit

AU - Héron, Bénédicte

AU - Muschol, Nicole

AU - Wijburg, Frits A

AU - Chakrapani, Anupam

AU - Olivier, Sophie

AU - Aiach, Karen

N1 - © 2022. The Author(s).

PY - 2022/2/22

Y1 - 2022/2/22

N2 - BACKGROUND: MPS IIIA is a rare, degenerative pediatric genetic disease characterized by symptoms impacting cognition, mobility and behavior; the mean age of death is around 15 years of age. Currently, there are no approved therapies for MPS IIIA.METHODS: A two-year, multi-center, prospective, descriptive cohort study was conducted to document the natural history course of MPS IIIA. In the context of this study, semi-structured interviews were performed with parents of children at study entry and one year later. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis methods to identity concepts of interest to children and parents, identify what factors impacted parents' burden the most, and develop qualitatively-derived disease severity stages. Children were sorted into these stages according to the symptoms their parents described at the entry interview. This sorting was compared quantitatively to the sorting of children at baseline according to the child's calendar age and their BSID development quotient (DQ).RESULTS: 22 parents in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK were interviewed. Children ranged in age from 28 to 105 months (mean 61.4 months). The conceptual models for children's symptoms and impacts and parents' impacts provided a detailed and comprehensive picture of what it is like for children of various ages and their parents to live with MPS IIIA. Four factors were identified as mediating the burden perceived by parents: state support, family support, time since diagnosis, and parent coping strategy. Four disease stages were developed, accounting for both the presence and the severity of MPS IIIA symptoms. The comparison of children's sorting into these stages with the BSID DQ and the child's calendar age showed strong statistical associations.CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this qualitative research embedded in a natural history study add to the current understanding of MPS IIIA as a complex disease that impacts every aspect of the lives of children and their families. This study demonstrates the unique potential of mixed methods research in rare diseases to address some of the current limitations of more traditional quantitative approaches by providing an individualized, detailed understanding of the patient experience.

AB - BACKGROUND: MPS IIIA is a rare, degenerative pediatric genetic disease characterized by symptoms impacting cognition, mobility and behavior; the mean age of death is around 15 years of age. Currently, there are no approved therapies for MPS IIIA.METHODS: A two-year, multi-center, prospective, descriptive cohort study was conducted to document the natural history course of MPS IIIA. In the context of this study, semi-structured interviews were performed with parents of children at study entry and one year later. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis methods to identity concepts of interest to children and parents, identify what factors impacted parents' burden the most, and develop qualitatively-derived disease severity stages. Children were sorted into these stages according to the symptoms their parents described at the entry interview. This sorting was compared quantitatively to the sorting of children at baseline according to the child's calendar age and their BSID development quotient (DQ).RESULTS: 22 parents in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK were interviewed. Children ranged in age from 28 to 105 months (mean 61.4 months). The conceptual models for children's symptoms and impacts and parents' impacts provided a detailed and comprehensive picture of what it is like for children of various ages and their parents to live with MPS IIIA. Four factors were identified as mediating the burden perceived by parents: state support, family support, time since diagnosis, and parent coping strategy. Four disease stages were developed, accounting for both the presence and the severity of MPS IIIA symptoms. The comparison of children's sorting into these stages with the BSID DQ and the child's calendar age showed strong statistical associations.CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this qualitative research embedded in a natural history study add to the current understanding of MPS IIIA as a complex disease that impacts every aspect of the lives of children and their families. This study demonstrates the unique potential of mixed methods research in rare diseases to address some of the current limitations of more traditional quantitative approaches by providing an individualized, detailed understanding of the patient experience.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Humans

KW - Mucopolysaccharidosis III

KW - Parents

KW - Prospective Studies

KW - Qualitative Research

KW - Rare Diseases

U2 - 10.1186/s13023-022-02208-w

DO - 10.1186/s13023-022-02208-w

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 35193633

VL - 17

SP - 75

JO - ORPHANET J RARE DIS

JF - ORPHANET J RARE DIS

SN - 1750-1172

IS - 1

ER -