In the realm of rare diseases, the emphasis on treating symptoms rather than achieving a complete cure of the affected individual stems from the unique challenges presented by these conditions. Rare diseases, often characterized by their limited prevalence and insufficient understanding, frequently lack early diagnosis and definitive cures due to the complexities of their underlying mechanisms. As a result, the medical approach tends to prioritize managing and alleviating specific symptoms that impact patients' daily lives, aiming to provide relief and improve functionality. The administration of ad hoc questionnaires for the evaluation of the QoL, such as AE-QoL and HAE QoL [35], is routinely used and recommended by guidelines [36]. They are extensively applied as a patient related outcome measure in the evaluation of the efficacy of therapy, whether the on-demand treatment or prophylaxis [37]. However, even with highly effective treatments out of the four domains evaluated by the AE-QoL, the more impactful improvement can be observed inside the “functionality” domain (ref HELP study). In many instances, this approach enhances the overall QoL of affected individuals, but a complete cure may remain elusive.
Furthermore, the individualized nature of rare diseases necessitates a personalized treatment strategy. Tailoring interventions to manage symptoms acknowledges the diversity of manifestations within a particular rare disease and recognizes that each patient may experience a unique set of challenges. This personalized approach extends beyond the physical symptoms to encompass the psychological and social aspects of the individual's well-being.
Creating detailed, fictional representations of typical patients and caregivers, the persona-based approach allowed us to identify a total of 6 personas − 4 patients, 1 patient-caregiver, and 1 non-affected caregiver personas – expressing the diverse needs, preferences, and characteristics of individuals who live with a rare and disabling disease, such as HAE.
This approach also brought to the identification of the most expressed patients’ needs that include psychological support, better awareness amongst healthcare professionals, disability benefits, more information about the impact of the condition on fertility and pregnancy, a dedicated phone line for emergencies, new drugs (ex. that can be taken orally), and bureaucratic challenges between different regions of Italy. From the side of patient-caregivers and caregivers, better information about the condition, such as informative newsletters about novel treatments, and information for schools and other facilities for children affected by HAE emerged as the primary needs.
Obtaining different archetypal individual characters and knowing their often unexpressed, unknown and unmet needs is essential for improving healthcare. It allows healthcare providers and systems to tailor their services to better meet the expectations and requirements of those they serve, enhancing empathy, communication, and the overall quality of care.
From a more general perspective, the approach used in this study is in line with the well-known Value-Based Healthcare, a model of designing healthcare systems with the rationale that achieving high value for patients must become the overarching goal of healthcare delivery. The value is defined as the health outcomes that matter to patients relative to the cost of achieving these outcomes and should always be defined around the user’s needs, to develop personalised solutions [38]. This concept applies to the entire care pathway, in particular for chronic conditions, including rare diseases, that often require long-time and resource-intensive care management [39].
In the modern approach to care, the long-time care management should include preventive strategies and rehabilitation programs, that refer to a multidisciplinary approach aimed at restoring, maintaining, preventing relapses, and improving the individual's physical, cognitive, and/or psychosocial functions and overall well-being. In the case of HAE patients, who often present significant limitations in their level of autonomy, as well as in private and working-related relationships, rehabilitation, intended as the achievement of the highest possible level of independence and participation in daily life and working activities, becomes a fundamental part of the care process. To be effective in terms of health results and costs, rehabilitation also benefits from the proposed approach focused on personalized interventions centred on the individuals’ needs and values [40, 41].
In conclusion, we argue that a better understanding of unmet and unarticulated needs, relating to psychosocial aspects and care experiences of patients and their caregivers may improve patient experience, and increase organisational efficiency and cost-effectiveness of HAE care. By using persona as a narrative tool and following an innovative value-based healthcare research, care providers and other stakeholders may be able to make better-informed decisions for the management of people affected by rare diseases and enhance resource utilisation. While the ultimate goal in healthcare remains the discovery of curative interventions, the current reality of rare diseases underscores the importance of a holistic and needs-focused approach.