Treatment of ulcerative colitis from the patient's perspective: a survey of preferences and satisfaction with therapy

Data available regarding patient perspectives on ulcerative colitis (UC) and their preferences and satisfaction with therapy are limited. To examine the preferences of UC patients to understand better what they look for in a therapy when managing their disease, as this may influence overall medication adherence. The study surveyed 100 Canadian UC patients on topics including educational resources used to learn about the disease, medication attributes that are most valued and preferred by the patient and satisfaction with current therapy. Overall, efficacy- and safety-related medication attributes were rated by patients to be more important than those related to dosing regimen (e.g. dosing frequency, number of pills), cost and formulary coverage. In pair-wise comparisons of specific medication attributes, UC patients rated speed of symptom relief and few side effects as the most important factors when considering a UC medication (preferred on average 84% and 74% of the time respectively). This study provides insight into UC patient preferences and satisfaction with therapy that may be important when counselling on treatment options, and generates relevant discussions on adherence. Larger studies may be warranted to examine further how these findings can be extrapolated to broader UC populations.