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ULCERATIVE COLITIS PATIENT PREFERENCES AND SATISFACTION WITH TREATMENT: A CANADIAN SURVEY
J Gray1, E Leung2, J Scales2
1University of British Columbia, Division of Gastroenterology, Vancouver, British Columbia; 2Procter and Gamble Pharmaceuticals Canada Inc., North York, Ontario
Aims: Understanding how an ulcerative colitis (UC) patient perceives their disease and what they prefer and expect from their therapy can play an important role in improving adherence. However, little published data explores these topics to date. The purpose of this patient survey was to gain insight into Canadian UC patients by examining how they learn about UC, what medication attributes they value, and how satisfied they are with their current therapy.
Methods: A national Internet survey was conducted with 100 Canadian UC patients to examine topics such as disease history, sources of disease information, preferences for specific UC medication attributes, and patient satisfaction with therapy.
Results: The majority of patients reported that they received their disease information from healthcare professionals (with gastroenterologists (63%) and family physicians (27%) being the most trusted sources) and the Internet. Medication attributes that were either efficacy- or safety-related were ranked higher than those that were related to dosing (e.g. number of pills per dose) or cost. The results from pair-wise comparisons of medication attributes were similar, with the speed to symptom relief (84%) and few side effects (74%) being the most preferred. Seventy-eight percent of patients were satisfied with the treatment they were receiving from their physician.
Conclusions: Efficacy and safety are highly valued medication attributes. Gastroenterologists and other physicians, who are considered trusted information sources, have the opportunity to play an important role in patient education. Clinical decisions may be refined by furthering our understanding of what a patient values in UC therapy.