Int J MS Care. 2018 Nov-Dec;20(6):251-259. doi: 10.7224/1537-2073.2017-031.

Associations Between Treatment Satisfaction, Medication Beliefs, and Adherence to Disease-Modifying Therapies in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis.

International journal of MS care

Andrew V Thach, Carolyn M Brown, Vivian Herrera, Rahul Sasane, Jamie C Barner, Kentya C Ford, Kenneth A Lawson

PMID: 30568562 PMCID: PMC6295882 DOI: 10.7224/1537-2073.2017-031

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Adherence to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) remains problematic for many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). An improved understanding of factors affecting DMT adherence may inform effective interventions. This study examined associations between treatment satisfaction, medication beliefs, and DMT adherence.

METHODS: A survey was mailed in 2016 to 600 adult patients with relapsing-remitting MS taking an injectable or oral DMT. Patients were sampled from the North American Research Committee on Multiple Sclerosis (NARCOMS) Registry. The survey measured self-reported DMT adherence (doses taken divided by doses prescribed during previous 2-week period-adherence ≥0.80), DMT satisfaction using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication version II, medication beliefs using the Beliefs About Medicines Questionnaire, and demographic and clinical covariates. Relationships between variables were examined using multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS: Final analyses included 489 usable surveys. Mean ± SD participant age was 60.5 ± 8.3 years. Most respondents were white (93.8%), female (86.6%), taking an injectable DMT (66.9%), and adherent to DMT (92.8%). Significant predictors of DMT adherence were age (odds ratio [OR], 1.086; 95% CI, 1.020-1.158; P = .011), type of DMT (oral vs. injectable; OR, 23.350; 95% CI, 2.254-241.892; P = .008), and DMT experience (naive vs. experienced; OR, 2.831; 95% CI, 1.018-7.878; P = .046).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with MS sampled from a patient registry, treatment satisfaction and medication beliefs were not significantly associated with DMT adherence. Based on significant predictors, younger patients, patients taking injectable DMTs, and patients with previous experience with another DMT(s) are at higher risk for nonadherence. Future research is warranted to assess relationships between variables in more diverse MS populations.

Keywords: Disease-modifying therapy; Medication adherence; Medication beliefs; Multiple Sclerosis; Treatment satisfaction

References

1. Int J Qual Health Care. 1999 Jun;11(3):187-92 - PubMed
2. J Psychosom Res. 1999 Dec;47(6):555-67 - PubMed
3. Value Health. 2005 Nov-Dec;8 Suppl 1:S9-S24 - PubMed
4. Mult Scler. 2007 Nov;13(9):1146-52 - PubMed
5. Rehabil Psychol. 2009 Feb;54(1):116-21 - PubMed
6. Patient Educ Couns. 2010 May;79(2):225-30 - PubMed
7. Eur J Neurol. 2011 Jan;18(1):69-77 - PubMed
8. J Med Internet Res. 2011 Jan 24;13(1):e12 - PubMed
9. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2011 Jan 20;5:73-84 - PubMed
10. Int J Health Sci (Qassim). 2010 Nov;4(2):139-48 - PubMed
11. Adv Ther. 2011 Sep;28(9):761-75 - PubMed
12. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2012;6:39-48 - PubMed
13. J Med Econ. 2012;15(3):601-9 - PubMed
14. PLoS One. 2012;7(5):e35600 - PubMed
15. Patient Educ Couns. 2013 Apr;91(1):105-12 - PubMed
16. J Manag Care Pharm. 2013 Jan-Feb;19(1 Suppl A):S24-40 - PubMed
17. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2013 Apr 16;7:309-18 - PubMed
18. BMC Neurol. 2013 Oct 04;13:138 - PubMed
19. Med Devices (Auckl). 2013 Nov 15;6:175-84 - PubMed
20. PLoS One. 2013 Dec 02;8(12):e80633 - PubMed
21. J Med Econ. 2014 Oct;17(10):696-707 - PubMed
22. Int J MS Care. 2014 Summer;16(2):68-75 - PubMed

Publication Types

• Journal Article