Patient-reported outcome assessment of inflammatory arthritis patient experience with intravenously administered biologic therapy

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate patient perspectives regarding utilization of intravenous (IV) therapy for inflammatory arthritis (IA).

Methods: This was a single-center, noninterventional, patient questionnaire-based study of adult IA patients currently receiving IV biologics. At a single visit, patients completed the questionnaire comprising 30 questions centered on their experience receiving an intravenously administered therapy to treat their IA. The questionnaire included questions on patient demographics, disease characteristics, and previous biologic treatment for IA (subcutaneous [SC] and IV). Patients rated their level of agreement with statements regarding satisfaction with current IV biologic therapy and potential advantages and disadvantages of IV biologic therapy using a 5-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree, 5= strongly agree).

Results: One hundred patients were enrolled and completed the survey; 66% were female and the mean age was 58 years. Before IV treatment, 97% of patients received information regarding therapy options. Ninety patients ranked their satisfaction with current IV therapy as 4 or 5. The proportion of patients with an "extremely favorable" perception of IV therapy increased from 33% to 71% following initiation of their current medication. Thirty-one patients had previously received SC therapies to treat their IA.

Conclusion: These results demonstrated an overall favorable perception of IV therapy among this patient population. Patients previously treated with SC therapy also had a positive shift in the perception of IV therapy after initiating IV therapy. Patients' perception and preference for treatment options should be highly considered by the treating physician during or as part of a shared decision-making process.

Keywords: arthritis; biologic therapy; intravenous; patient satisfaction.

Figure 1

Actual question: How satisfied are you with using an IV infusion medication? Patient satisfaction with IV infusion therapy (A) and favorability of IV treatment before and after initiating IV infusion therapy for all patients (B) and for patients with and without previous experience with SC agents (C). Abbreviations: IV, intravenous; SC, subcutaneous.

Figure 2

Level of patient agreement with reasons for switching from SC to IV therapy for IA: (A) The medication administered by shots wasn’t working. (B) I had side effects to the medication administered by shots. (C) The cost of IV infusion medication was less. (D) I had difficulty remembering when to administer the shots. (E) I had difficulty administering the shots. (F) I didn’t like giving myself shots. Abbreviations: IA, inflammatory arthritis; IV, intravenous; SC, subcutaneous.