Patient preferences for asthma therapy: a discrete choice experiment.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to capture patient preferences for different aspects of asthma treatment from people with asthma in the UK, the Netherlands and Spain.


METHODS
Asthma patients from the UK (n=124), the Netherlands (n=269) and Spain (n=86) participated in the survey. Patients' preferences and willingness to pay for a particular number of preventer inhalers, in relation to days per week with symptoms, days requiring reliever medication, risk of side effects, and requirement for a visit to their general practitioner (GP) or the Emergency Room (ER), were recorded.


RESULTS
Participants were willing to pay euro 35/month to avoid a day with symptoms, euro 109/month to avoid asthma attacks that required emergency visits to their GP or the ER, and euro 94/month to achieve total avoidance of asthma symptoms compared with their current state.


CONCLUSIONS
This study presents European data regarding the importance to patients of different attributes of asthma and its treatment. Study participants placed high values on the avoidance of symptoms, and asthma attacks requiring medical attendance.
Deputy Director Europe, United BioSource Corporation, 20 Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1A 2NS, UK. andrew.lloyd@unitedbiosource.com
Andrew
A
Lloyd
Emma
E
McIntosh
Klaus F
KF
Rabe
Angela
A
Williams
D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005060:Europe; D005260:Female; D005102:Health Expenditures; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents