RESUMO
Tumour necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi) therapy, either intravenous (IV) or subcutaneous (SQ), demonstrates similar efficacy in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The objective of this study was to examine factors influencing patient preference of TNFi. Fifty-nine (79.7%) participants were male with mean age 43.9 years and disease duration of 22.0 years. Fifty-nine patients (79.7%) agreed with the statement 'My doctor gave me a choice and I made a decision based on my personal preference'. Patients commenced first on IV TNFi most commonly cited reduced frequency of injections (96.6%), administration by a trained professional (89.7%) and use of infusion time for leisure activities (86.2%). Patients commenced on SQ TNFi cited flexibility with timing of treatment (80%), shortened administration time (73.3%) and the convenience of home therapy (73.3%). Shared clinical decision-making between clinicians and patients may be desirable for AS patients commencing TNFi therapy.
Assuntos
Espondilite Anquilosante/tratamento farmacológico , Fator de Necrose Tumoral alfa/antagonistas & inibidores , Adulto , Antirreumáticos/uso terapêutico , Comunicação , Feminino , Humanos , Infusões Intravenosas , Injeções Subcutâneas , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Satisfação do Paciente , Inquéritos e Questionários , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
Prevalence of dietary complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and consultation with a CAM practitioner was examined in a cross-sectional study of 75 AS patients. Seventy one of 75 (94.7%) study participants reported previous or current CAM use. Among these AS patients, 44 (72.1%) reported dietary CAM use and 27 (36.0%) were seeing a CAM practitioner at the time of study. Of 89 dietary CAM, 50 (56.4%) were perceived to be of slight or no benefit, and only 10 (11.2%) were initiated by a CAM practitioner. Compared with non-users, current dietary CAM users were more likely to be female (OR 6.5; 95% CI, 1.8-23.9). Patients attending a CAM practitioner were more likely to have university education (OR 5.7; 95% CI, 1.5-21.9) and higher BASDAI (OR 1.3; 95%CI, 1.0-1.7). Despite low rates of perceived benefit, dietary CAM use and CAM practitioner attendance is common among AS patients.
