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University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisc
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: David Rabago, MD, Department of Family Medicine, UW-Madison, 777 South Mills St, Madison, WI 53715, rabago{at}fammed.wisc.edu
| ABSTRACT |
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METHODS We conducted semistructured, in-depth interviews with 28 participants who recently used nasal irrigation in studies assessing HSNI.
RESULTS Four themes emerged: (1) HSNI improved self-management of sinus symptoms, creating a sense of empowerment; (2) HSNI produced rapid and long-term improvement in quality of life; (3) participants identified discomfort, time, and mild side effects as barriers to HSNI use; and (4) participants identified aspects of training and at-home use that overcame these barriers.
CONCLUSION HSNI is a safe, well-tolerated, inexpensive, effective, long-term therapy that patients with chronic sinonasal symptoms can and will use at home with minimal training and follow-up. Success with HSNI will likely be improved by patient education.
Key Words: Nasal irrigation sinusitis/therapy rhinosinusitis chronic sinus symptoms quality of life qualitative study
| INTRODUCTION |
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Originally part of the Yogic and Ayurvedic traditions, hypertonic saline nasal irrigation (HSNI) is an adjunctive therapy for rhinosinusitis and sinus symptoms68 that flushes the nasal cavity, facilitating the evacuation of potentially allergen- and irritant-containing mucus9 (Figure 1
). Several randomized controlled trials examining HSNI suggest that it is a safe, effective, and tolerable therapy for rhinosinusitis and sinus symptoms.1017 Previous randomized controlled trials have reported improvement of quality-of-life scores,1012,17 and improvement of several surrogate measures.1214,17 In a closely monitored 6-month randomized controlled trial (phase 1, Figure 2
),17 our group found that daily HSNI using 2% saline is associated with high patient satisfaction, improved quality of life, decreased antibiotic and nasal spray use, and improved sinus symptoms in adult participants with a history of frequent rhinosinusitis and chronic sinus complaints. In a 12-month follow-up study (phase 2),18 we found that patient education without close monitoring enabled phase 1 control participants to initiate and maintain identical HSNI use patterns, and that control participants had the same significant and clinically meaningful improvements in quality of life. HSNI has received attention in the lay press19 and was recently identified as "an important component in the management of most sinonasal conditions" that is "effective and underutilized."20
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| METHODS |
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| RESULTS |
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Improvement in Quality of Life Participants confirmed the results of phases 1 and 2; use of HSNI improved short- and long-term sinus symptoms and sinus-related quality of life. Many participants were enthusiastic, reporting improvements with the first or second use: "... my results were immediate," and "... almost instant relief of the congestion." Most participants also confirmed positive long-term effects of HSNI on sinus-related quality of life, and noted a deep sense of satisfaction associated with the diminution of their sinus symptoms, often reflected in moving comments, such as, "It just made a world of difference in my life," and "... when you suffer from a chronic illness for so long and then you dont, ... its such a big relief ... (to) enjoy things that people take for granted." Participants also expressed satisfaction with a perceived association with decreased allergy symptoms and with the naturalness and economy of HSNI.
Barriers to HSNI Use While HSNI was effective for many participants, many also reported substantial barriers to initial and consistent use of HSNI. These barriers included fear of having water in the nasal cavity, initial unpleasant sensation of water in the nasal cavity, having to learn how to perform HSNI effectively, taking time at home to do HSNI, and experiencing occasional mild side effects. Consistent with phases 1 and 2, such side effects as saline drainage, nasal burning, or irritation were noted but not identified as important enough to stop HSNI.
Strategies to Overcome Barriers to HSNI Use Participants identified how they overcame barriers to using HSNI. Participants identified each element of the teaching strategy used in the introductory meeting as important in their use of HSNI. These 30-minute meetings were made up of 2 to 6 participants per meeting; they involved a sequence of activities starting with a group discussion of participants sinus disease histories, a 5-minute film and discussion of nasal irrigation, and a demonstration and coached practice of HSNI. Participants identified coached practice as the single most important element of the enrollment meeting. Each participant was able to perform the procedure before leaving the enrollment meeting.
Participants also noted several at-home strategies that facilitated regular use, which included incorporating HSNI into an already-existing daily hygiene routine, placing HSNI materials in convenient and accessible locations, adjusting the HSNI use schedule and salinity to decrease or eliminate discomfort, and using warm water. Social concerns were also addressed by our interviewers. Because HSNI therapy is novel for most patients and could engender stigma or embarrassment, we wondered whether social issues played a part in the tendency to regular use. Participants reported reactions from family and friends that included encouragement, surprise, or amusement; none reported that negative reactions from family or friends limited their use of HSNI.
The themes and quotations illustrate participants range of experience. The overall story of using HSNI, however, may be better told using an extended quotation. An abbreviated transcript of a representative participant whose narrative provides a more personal view of the major themes can be found in Table 3
. Her reporting was neither especially negative about the initial aspects of nasal irrigation nor overly effusive about her success. It is consistent with the data from this group of participants who had a debilitating condition (chronic sinus symptoms), who were introduced to a nonintuitive therapy, the mastery of which required work and insight (performing HSNI), and who achieved therapeutic success (improved quality of life). Her transcript identified the core themes in a matter-of-fact manner. Bracketed words are the authors interpretation of the participants original intent; they are used to link ideas or abbreviate wordiness.
| DISCUSSION |
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Effective teaching combined with a positive clinical outcome led to improved quality of life and sense of empowerment for these participants. The introductory meeting set the stage for participants use of a therapy by establishing a relationship with research staff and trust in the overall research plan. Group discussion of clinical histories promoted an esprit de corps regarding use of HSNI and participation in the study. Group interaction and discussion have been used to facilitate understanding and acceptance of ones condition, and the notion that active involvement in therapy can facilitate improved clinical outcomes. Group discussion also served to decrease the alienation and stress that participants may have felt in isolation. Hearing others clinical stories likely increased bonds with fellow participants and may have helped participants feel that their own story was heard and valued. Positive effects of group behavior programs have resulted in improved outcomes in other treatment settings.2628
Early demonstration and coached practice of HSNI ensured proficiency before the participants first at-home use. Patient education and coached practice have been identified as important aspects of successful care of chronic illness29 and have been linked to successful treatment of chronic conditions such as asthma and COPD.30
Given that the immediate effect of HSNI under supervision was generally positive, and side effects were limited, participants were able to adapt the scheduling, location, and materials handling to best suit their personal and social context in the long term. This ability to manage their own treatment likely contributed to the reported sense of empowerment and personal control of their chronic symptoms, further enabling continued use. A sense of empowerment among users of complementary medical therapy is consistent with recent findings that characterize patients views about complementary medical therapy compared with conventional therapy.31
Because 3 of us (DR, BB, RM) were co-researchers on phases 1 and 2, we anticipated that the comments would be positive, but several aspects of the results surprised us. First was the passion and drama of many reports. Sinus disease, HSNI, and clinical improvement are clearly important to these participants and deeply affect the quality of their lives. Also surprising was the uniform reporting about 2 issues. First, most participants expressed the need to overcome the oddness of pouring water through the nasal cavity, Second, it was worth the effort of doing so, because HSNI truly improved quality of life for this group of participants, most of whom had had less success with multiple previous therapies.
Our study has several limitations. These results may not generalize well to patients who have uncomplicated acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, less-frequent rhinosinusitis, sinus symptoms that are less chronic, or have undergone less HSNI coaching. Recollection of initial experiences and feelings toward HSNI may have been inaccurate, because participants were interviewed 12 to 18 months after starting phase 1. We did not use an iterative process to guide the formulation of interview questions and may have missed issues important to participants. The researchers may have been biased in favor of HSNI because 3 coauthors were familiar with the positive quantitative HSNI results of phases 1 and 2.
Implications for Clinicians
This study has important implications for clinicians. HSNI can be confidently and safely prescribed to patients with chronic sinonasal symptoms. Adherence to HSNI will likely be improved by a patient-education encounter that includes coached practice of HSNI. Consideration should be given to grouping several patients into a single class for patient education. In our clinical practice, we describe the rationale for HSNI as part of the treatment plan for patients with chronic sinonasal complaints; if the patient is interested, we explain the technique with an illustrated patient handout, as shown in Supplemental Appendix, which can be found online at http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/4/4/295/DC1, and at http://www.fammed.wisc.edu/research/projects/nasalirrigation-instructions.pdf), before we proceed with guided practice. We recommend using nasal irrigation once daily at the onset of sinus symptoms until resolution, and thereafter for maintenance as needed. The materials are inexpensive, and nasal irrigation cups are increasingly available at local pharmacies nationwide.
Implications for Researchers
This study has implications for future HSNI research. Questions remain about the basic science of HSNI, clinical protocol (eg, irrigation schedule, irrigant concentration, buffering, and irrigant delivery system), specific indications, and optimal training techniques and context. These issues require study in a larger patient population with more identified subgroups, including acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, vasomotor rhinitis, and asthma.
In addition, the current study also has implications for primary care research. Integrated, multi-method research techniques in primary care have been described and advocated.32,33 Taken together with phases 1 and 2, the current study is an example of such an approach. By using both qualitative and quantitative methods, a broader and deeper picture of HSNI use emerges than if either were used alone. Phases 1 and 2 used a conventional, quantitative hypothesis-testing approach that produced internally consistent conclusions; HSNI is an effective therapy for patients with recurrent rhinosinusitis and chronic sinonasal complaints. In phase 3, we asked participants to describe and interpret the experience of HSNI. Such qualitative data brings the use of HSNI closer to real clinical life by making the quantitative findings easier to act upon for physicians and patients.
Participants confirmed positive results from 2 previous studies. HSNI is an effective, safe, well-tolerated, inexpensive therapy that patients with frequent rhino-sinusitis and chronic sinus symptoms can learn in the office and use at home over the long term with minimal training and follow-up. Clinical success with HSNI will likely be improved by brief patient education, HSNI demonstration, in-person coaching, and the ability to tailor HSNI use to individual needs.
| FOOTNOTES |
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Received for publication August 1, 2005. Revision received November 23, 2005. Accepted for publication November 29, 2005.
| REFERENCES |
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