• Erica Briones-Vozmediano, Elena Ronda-Pérez, and Carmen Vives-Cases.
• Grupo de Investigación en Salud Pública, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, España; Sociedad Española de Epidemiología (SEE), España. Electronic address: erica.briones@ua.es.
• Aten Primaria. 2015 Apr 1; 47 (4): 205-12.

ObjectiveTo explore the perceptions of patients with fibromyalgia (FM) on the problems they experience in the workplace, to discuss how they face and adapt to the limitations imposed by the symptoms of this disease.DesignAn exploratory qualitative study conducted in 2009.LocationAssociations of patients of FM from Valencia (Spain).ParticipantsSixteen patients (13 women and 3 men) diagnosed with FM by a rheumatologist, of different ages and occupations, selected from key informants and the snowball technique.MethodPragmatic sample. Semi-structured interviews until saturation of information when no new information emerged. Qualitative content analysis using the software Atlas.ti-5, to generate and assign codes, forming categories and identifying a latent theme.ResultsWe identified four categories: difficulties in meeting the work demands, need for social support in the workplace, strategies adopted to continue working, and resistance to leave the employment. A theme which crosscut these categories emerged: FM patientś motivation to continue in the labour market.ConclusionsAddressing the specific needs of patients it is essential in order to helping them to stay in the labour market, according to their capabilities. Awareness programs about the consequences of FM in the workplace are needed to achieve the collaboration of managers, entrepreneurs, occupational health professionals and primary care physicians and nurses.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

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