What Represents Treatment Efficacy in Long-term Studies of Gout Flare Prevention? An Interview Study of People With Gout

Abstract

Objective The patient experience of gout flares is multidimensional with several contributing factors, including pain intensity, duration and frequency. There is currently no consistent method for reporting gout flare burden in long-term studies. This study aimed to determine which factors contribute to patient perceptions of treatment efficacy in long-term studies of gout flare prevention. Methods This study involved face-to-face interviews with people with gout using visual representations of gout flare patterns. Participants were shown different flare scenarios over a hypothetical 6-month treatment period portraying varying flare frequency, pain intensity and flare duration. The participants were asked to indicate and discuss which scenario they believed was most indicative of successful treatment over time. Quantitative data relating to the proportion of participants selecting each scenario were reported using descriptive statistics. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to code and categorize the data from the interview transcripts. Results Twenty-two people with gout participated in the semi-structured interviews. All three factors of pain intensity, flare duration and flare frequency influenced participants' perception of treatment efficacy. However, a shorter flare duration was the most common indicator of successful treatment, with half of participants (n = 11, 50%) selecting the scenario with a shorter flare duration over those with less painful flares. Conclusion Flare duration, flare frequency, and pain severity are all considered by patients with gout when considering treatment efficacy over time. Long term studies of gout should ideally capture all of these factors to better represent patients' experience of treatment success.

Tele-monitoring flares using a smartphone app in patients with gout or suspected gout: a feasibility study

“…Recurrent and chronic inflammation in gout impairs quality of life [ 2 ]. As a result, patients care most about the frequency and intensity of flares when considering treatment efficacy over time [ 3 ]. In addition, independent of hyperuricaemia, gout severity is associated with cardiovascular disease risk [ 4 , 5 ].…”