title: The treatment of erectile dysfunction study: focus on treatment satisfaction of patients and partners.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patient and partner preferences for, and satisfaction with, tadalafil or sildenafil (phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors) in routine clinical practice for treating erectile dysfunction (ED), as these are important outcomes that might influence treatment adherence.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a multicentre, prospective observational trial in Canada, patients with ED were eligible if they planned to change treatment from tadalafil to sildenafil or vice versa. Data were collected at baseline and 4-12 weeks later (endpoint). Satisfaction was assessed using patient and partner versions of the Erectile Dysfunction Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) questionnaire. EDITS index scores range from 0 (extremely low treatment satisfaction) to 100 (extremely high treatment satisfaction).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 2425 patients, approximately 98% completed the study and 295 partners participated. When patients changed from sildenafil to tadalafil (1722 men) the mean EDITS index scores increased significantly for both patients (from 61.6 to 78.3) and partners (from 65.0 to 82.6; both P < 0.001). When patients changed from tadalafil to sildenafil (703 men), the mean EDITS index scores increased slightly but significantly for patients (from 68.8 to 70.2; P = 0.007) but not partners (from 76.8 to 68.9; P = 0.066). For the individual EDITS questions, mean scores increased significantly from baseline to endpoint on all questions for patients (all 11 questions; P < 0.001) and partners (all five questions; P < 0.001) in the sildenafil-to-tadalafil group, and in the tadalafil-to-sildenafil group, mean scores for patients decreased on nine of 11 questions (seven of nine significantly; P < 0.041) and mean scores for partners decreased on all five (two significantly; P < 0.049). For treatment preference, regardless of the change in treatment (i.e. sildenafil-tadalafil or tadalafil-sildenafil), a significantly higher percentage of patients and partners preferred tadalafil to sildenafil.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data indicate that patients with ED (and their partners) who changed from sildenafil to tadalafil treatment or vice versa in a routine clinical practice setting had higher treatment satisfaction when taking tadalafil than sildenafil, as assessed by most measures of EDITS. The higher treatment satisfaction with tadalafil might help to explain the greater preference for tadalafil compared with sildenafil in both patients and partners in this observational study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Western Ontario, St. Joseph's Health Center, London, ON, Canada. gebrock@sympatico.ca
authors.forename: Gerald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Serge
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Carrier
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: Clement
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horner
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gutkin
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dickson
mesh_terms: D002243:Carbolines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011687:Purines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000068581:Tadalafil; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D002243:Carbolines; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068581:Tadalafil; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate