Abstract

BackgroundShared decision between rheumatologists and their patients has become an overarching principle in current treatment recommendations in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, assessing satisfaction with pharmacological therapy, among patients, is becoming increasingly important in clinical settings.ObjectivesIn this study, we aimed to assess the satisfaction of patients with RA about their treatment and to investigate the predictive factors.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted including adults diagnosed with RA for more than a year and receiving their current Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic Drug(s) (DMARD(s)) for at least 12 months.We used the treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication (TSQM v1.4) to assess the treatment satisfaction among patients. Multivariable regression analysis was applied to determine the factors associated with treatment satisfaction.ResultsWe included 70 patients (63F/7M) with a mean age of 57.8 ±10.6 [29-81] years at the time of the study. The mean disease duration was 13.71±7.2 [2-30] years.Twenty-four (34,2%) patients were on a biologic DMARD (bDMARD).Regarding the Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS28-ESR), 14.3% of patients had a low disease activity, 47.1% a moderate disease activity, 7.1% a high disease activity, and 31.4% were in clinical remission. The mean (SD) Rheumatoid Arthritis Impact Disease (RAID) overall score was 4.72 ±2.11. Mean (SD) TSQM scores were 65.42±14.77 for convenience, 68.71±18 for effectiveness, 70.60±24.5 for side effects, and 67.95±17.10 for global satisfaction.Twenty percent of patients were satisfied with convenience, 38.6% were satisfied with effectiveness, 45.7% were satisfied with side effects and 30% were globally satisfied.The multivariable regression analysis showed that the RAID overall score was inversely associated to global satisfaction (p=0.001) and to satisfaction with effectiveness (p=0.032).Difficulty of coping (one of the RAID domains) was inversely associated to satisfaction with effectiveness and convenience.It was, also, showed that satisfaction with side effects was inversely associated to the degree of interference of the RA on domestic work (p=0.020) and positively correlated to the degree of participation in treatment decision-making (p=0.014). In addition, satisfaction with current physician was positively associated to global satisfaction (p=0.029).Satisfaction with convenience was inversely associated to bDAMARs (p=0.027).ConclusionWe conclude from our data that despite the diversity of therapeutic strategies, almost two-thirds of patients remain not satisfied with their treatment. A better understanding of patients’ unmet needs and an individualized patient-centric approach would improve outcomes in RA.Disclosure of InterestsNone declared

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