title: Caregiver preferences for pediatric asthma treatment delivery systems.
abstract: This study was conducted to assess caregiver preferences for pediatric asthma treatment delivery systems. A total of 186 caregivers of children with asthma who ranged in age from 1 to 4 y completed a stated-preference questionnaire to assess the importance of specific treatment attributes in terms of caregivers' preferences, and to determine the percentages of caregivers who preferred specific treatments. Other outcomes assessed included caregivers' likelihood of adhering to pediatric asthma treatment. Most respondents (75%) preferred treatments that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in children as young as 12 mo, that require minimal effort in coordination and inhalation on the child's part, and that take up to 10 min to administer. A greater proportion of respondents indicated that they would be able to follow the physician's advice (increased likelihood of adherence) if given this treatment (54%) versus an alternative (35%). This difference did not achieve statistical significance, however. The conjoint analysis method used in this study enabled investigators to assess caregivers' relative preferences for specific attributes of various pediatric asthma treatments. Overall, FDA approval in children as young as 12 mo was the most preferred attribute. Caregiver preference for pediatric asthma treatment alternatives is an important consideration and should be a component of discussions between healthcare professionals and caregivers.
authors.affiliation: UCSD School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hitchcock
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mellon
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Memran
authors.forename: Bhash
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Parasuraman
authors.forename: Sulabha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walzer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017028:Caregivers; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D017277:Drug Approval; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D010349:Patient Compliance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents