title: Patient preferences for hepatitis B therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about patient preferences for selection of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) treatment. This issue is important as it affects the therapeutic choices available for patients and, in the long term, the health of CHB patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was a questionnaire-led survey directed at patients attending a CHB follow-up clinic. Patients were asked questions regarding their knowledge on CHB treatment, preferred route and frequency of administration, duration of treatment, cost, adverse events, viral resistance, efficacy and whether treatment options were discussed with doctors. Patients were also asked to rank their priorities when selecting treatment for CHB. In addition, a summary of the profile of current agents was shown to patients who were then asked to select their preferred therapy. Finally, patients were asked questions regarding their willingness to pay for CHB treatment and expectations of treatment. Questionnaires were self-administered and statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (version 10.0).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lamivudine was the best-known drug among patients. Only 30% of patients were treatment-naive. Most patients preferred oral therapy with once-daily dosing and a fixed duration of treatment. Drug efficacy was considered the most important factor in drug selection. When shown the profile of the different drugs available for the treatment of CHB, entecavir was the preferred choice of therapy. The majority of patients were willing to spend no more than S$10 (USD 8) daily for therapy with expectation of cure for their disease. Overall, 92% of patients would follow doctor's recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' preferences are important in evaluating drug selection for CHB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, National University Health System, Singapore. mdclimsg@nus.edu.sg.
authors.forename: Seng Gee
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Myat Oo
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Stephanie W M
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: Charlene S L
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Soon
authors.forename: Belinda H N
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: Keat Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D017281:Cost of Illness; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents