Collagen disease nursing practice: 10 years of research and future challenges

Abstract

This study aimed to review original studies and published reviews in the past 10 years in the field of nursing practice for collagen disease in Japan to clarify current research trends and identify future research issues. We electronically searched the literature using “disease” and “adult Still’s disease” as broad search terms. The first list was narrowed by searching for 〜10 target diseases. These disease-specific studies were reviewed to extract nursing topics. Key nursing search words included nursing, psychology/cognition, patient experience, living condition, self-care, and difficulty. Of the 88 identified studies, 62 did not focus on collagen disease and were excluded. The target diseases of the 26 analyzed papers were as follows: 2 cases of autoimmune disease, 4 cases of systemic lupus erythematosus, and 20 cases of rheumatoid arthritis. Patient confusion about changes in appearance and personal conflicts about finances and roles, as well as anxiety about illness, its treatment, and the future, are important themes for nursing practice in this review. Nurses help patients adjust to life events, leverage social resources （including family members）, and connect with multiple occupations. Patient education about dealing with a chronic disease and quantitative studies related to medical treatment behavior and patient quality of life are future research opportunities.