title: Patient preferences for disease-modifying drugs in multiple sclerosis therapy: a choice-based conjoint analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  With an increasing number of disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) for multiple sclerosis (MS), patient preferences will gain importance in the decision-making process. We assessed patients' implicit preferences for oral versus parenteral DMTs and identified factors influencing patients' treatment preference.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with relapsing-remitting MS (n = 156) completed a questionnaire assessing treatment preferences, whereby they had to decide between pairs of hypothetical treatment scenarios. Based on this questionnaire a choice-based conjoint analysis was conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment frequency and route of administration showed a stronger influence on patient preference compared with frequency of mild side effects. The latter attribute was more important for treatment-naïve patients compared with DMT-experienced patients. The higher the Extended Disability Status Scale score, the more likely pills, and the less likely fewer side effects were preferred. Pills were preferred over injections by 93% of patients, when treatment frequency and frequency of side effects were held constant. However, preference switched to injections when pills had to be taken three times daily and injections only once per week. Injections were also preferred when pills were associated with frequent side effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that route of administration and treatment frequency play an important role in the patients' preference for a given DMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Utz
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoog
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wentrup
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lämmer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jainsch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Waschbisch
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: De-Hyung
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralf A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Linker
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schenk
keywords: choice-based conjoint analysis; multiple sclerosis; oral; parenteral; patient preference; treatment frequency