Preferences, Adherence, and Satisfaction: Three Years of Treatment Experiences of People with Multiple Sclerosis

Abstract

Background To reduce the risk of long-term disability in people with Multiple Sclerosis (pwMS), an increasing number of disease-modifying immune therapies (DMT) are available, involving diverse mechanisms of action, levels of efficacy, treatment risks, and tolerability aspects. Including patient preferences and expectations in shared decision-making may improve treatment satisfaction, adherence, and persistence. Purpose To investigate long-term alignment of individual preferences and expectations of pwMS with their actual DMT and its effect on treatment satisfaction, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), adherence, and treatment discontinuation. Methods A total of 401 pwMS beginning a new DMT were enrolled from 2015 to 2018 in a non-interventional study at three German MS centres. Patient preferences regarding DMT, TSQM-9, SF36, and self-reported adherence as well as relapses and EDSS were recorded at baseline and every 3 to 6 months for up to 3 years. Results Efficacy and tolerability were the highest-ranking preferences at baseline. Actual selection of DMT corresponded more closely to safety than efficacy, tolerability, or convenience preferences. Participants reported excellent adherence throughout the study. DMT persistence was 69.0%, with earlier discontinuation for injectable vs oral or infusion therapies. Breakthrough disease, rather than patient-reported outcomes, was the main driver of DMT discontinuation. For all routes of administration, global treatment satisfaction increased over time despite lower satisfaction with convenience. Several patterns of changing preferences were observed. Conclusion This study provides insight into the interaction of DMT preferences of pwMS with their actual treatment experience. Treatment decisions should be aligned with long-term expectations of pwMS to promote continuous adherence.

Decisional Conflict Regarding Disease-Modifying Treatment Choices Among Patients with Mid-Stage Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis

“…These patients have already passed the initial phase of processing the diagnosis and have experienced some degree of disease progression and response to treatment. 20 …”