Marsman M S, Koning G G, Jansen B P W, Reijnen M M P J, Habibovic M, Vriens P W H E
Department of Surgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
Department of Vascular Surgery, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Hospital, Tilburg, the Netherlands.
Vasc Endovascular Surg. 2025 Apr;59(3):237-242. doi: 10.1177/15385744241286585. Epub 2024 Sep 21.
The outcomes of carotid surgery are commonly evaluated using parameters such as mortality and stroke. The importance of these parameters is based on doctors' and scientific perspectives. Presently, patient centered health care aims to value the evaluation from patients' perspective, mostly using Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs). The true significance of outcomes of carotid surgery that matter most to the patients is largely unknown. The aim of this study is to identify and verify the patients' perspective on carotid surgery for patients with a symptomatic and significant carotid stenosis.
An exploratory semi-structured focus group discussion will be used, as a quality research method. Three groups consisting of 8 patients ( = 24), who underwent the carotid endarterectomy because of a significant and symptomatic stenosis of the internal carotid artery, will be enrolled. If data saturation is not reached, the sample size will be expanded. An expert medical psychologist will lead the focus group discussions. The interviews will be recorded, transcribed 'verbatim' and analyzed after each session. Items valuable to patients regarding their surgery and recovery will be discussed. This protocol will be published prior to the start of the Focus Group Discussion.
Patients' perspective on outcomes regarding their carotid surgery will be explored and tried to be identified. The results of the focus group discussions may fuel the ongoing global discussion on improving evidence based and patient reported outcome measures and will help the clinical physician to 'understand' their patients better. Focus group discussions may aid in the purpose of verification of PROs and PROMs.
颈动脉手术的结果通常使用死亡率和中风等参数进行评估。这些参数的重要性基于医生和科学的视角。目前，以患者为中心的医疗保健旨在从患者的角度重视评估，主要使用患者报告结局（PROs）。对患者而言最重要的颈动脉手术结果的真正意义在很大程度上尚不清楚。本研究的目的是确定并验证有症状且严重颈动脉狭窄患者对颈动脉手术的看法。
将采用探索性半结构化焦点小组讨论作为一种质性研究方法。将招募三组共24名因颈内动脉严重且有症状狭窄而接受颈动脉内膜切除术的患者。如果未达到数据饱和，将扩大样本量。一名医学专家心理学家将主持焦点小组讨论。访谈将进行录音，逐字转录，并在每次会议后进行分析。将讨论对患者手术及康复有价值的项目。本方案将在焦点小组讨论开始前发表。
将探索并尝试确定患者对颈动脉手术结果的看法。焦点小组讨论的结果可能推动正在进行的关于改进基于证据和患者报告结局指标的全球讨论，并将帮助临床医生更好地“理解”他们的患者。焦点小组讨论可能有助于验证患者报告结局（PROs）和患者报告结局测量工具（PROMs）。
