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

Abstract

ObjectiveTo evaluate patient perspectives regarding utilization of intravenous (IV) therapy for inflammatory arthritis (IA).MethodsThis 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).ResultsOne 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.ConclusionThese 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.

Patient Perspectives on Intravenous Biologics for Rheumatologic Disease

“…Results of Survey II were also consistent with previous data in the literature regarding patients’ acceptance of IV therapy; Canadian patients with rheumatic diseases surveyed generally reported very favorable perceptions of IV therapy and felt that the time commitment to obtain biologic therapy was highly worthwhile, and perceptions of IV therapy and the associated time commitment improved favorably after receiving multiple infusions in the program.…”

“…The specific disease state also appeared to affect patient preferences for route of administration; IV therapy was preferred by a higher proportion of patients with RA, while SC therapy was preferred by a higher proportion of patients with PsA. In a survey reported recently by Gaylis et al , patients with inflammatory arthritis reported a number of perceived advantages with IV therapy, including additional monitoring by health care staff, the immediate availability of health care resources, less frequent dosing, ease of scheduling administrations, and reduced fear of self‐injection.…”

“…This concept is supported by the results of Survey II, in which patients reported that having a health care provider on‐site at the infusion center was important to them. In addition, a recent study by Gaylis et al showed that patients believed that medication administration by a health care provider in the infusion setting, as well as having regular on‐site monitoring of health status and potential side effects, were key benefits of IV therapy. However, while patients perceived an advantage to receiving treatment at an IV center, more research will be needed to demonstrate an association with general health or rheumatology outcomes.…”

“…In a Danish study, IV therapy was preferred by 85% of patients already receiving IV treatment . In another recent study evaluating the characteristics of US patients with inflammatory arthritis (e.g., RA, PsA, or AS) who had been receiving IV biologic treatment (n = 100) ranging in duration from 0.08 to 16 years, approximately 80% of patients reported being very satisfied with their IV infusions . In that study, patients’ perception of IV therapy improved considerably after starting treatment; only 33% of patients reported an extremely favorable view of IV therapy prior to treatment, while 71% reported an extremely favorable view after receiving therapy.…”

Patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis treatment

“…Bolge et al (15) conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 405 patients receiving IV therapy [including 204 (50.4%) with RA] and found the majority of patients preferred IV medication to SQ injection, with the most common reasons for preference for IV therapy were aversion to self-inject, less frequent dosing, and preference for administration by a health care professional. Gaylis et al (16) performed a single-center, non-interventional patient questionnaire-based study of 100 patients with inflammatory arthritis currently receiving IV biologics, including 31 patients who were previously treated with SQ medications, and similarly found patients had a favorable perception of IV therapy, with 90% patients rating their satisfaction with current IV therapy as 4 or 5 on a 5-point Likert scale. Desplats et al (17) analyzed preferences for switching from IV to SQ in 127 patients treated by tocilizumab and 74 patients by abatacept.…”