Illness Experience of Patients with Chronic Hepatitis C Participating in Clinical Trials

OBJECTIVES To understand the illness experience of patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials in the sociocultural context of Korea in an in-depth and comprehensive manner. METHODS A focused ethnography approach was used to discover the pattern of illness experience of patients with chronic hepatitis C in the cultural background of Korea. Interviews were conducted with 11 patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials and the collected data were analyzed with the domain analysis, taxonomical analysis, componential analysis, and theme analysis proposed by Spradley. RESULTS With the cultural theme of "less-known illness, less-familiar illness," four categories were derived: "my illness discovered by accident," "shaken life," "scary but inevitable treatment method," and "precious life that can't be wasted," along with 12 properties. CONCLUSION Public campaigns or education programs are needed to meet the needs for information on the disease for patients with chronic hepatitis C participating in clinical trials and help the general public acquire knowledge or change view on this disease.