title: Patient and physician preferences for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus infections: does the perspective matter?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives of this study were to identify and quantify the factors driving patient and physician preferences for treatments of genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection in the UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  A web survey was conducted, including 100 patients (50 treatment-naive and 50 treatment-experienced patients) and 50 physicians (gastroenterologists/ hepatologists and infectious disease specialists). A discrete-choice experiment was conducted to elicit the participants' preferences on the basis of seven attributes with four levels each: efficacy, that is probability of reaching sustained virologic response, treatment duration, treatment convenience (i.e. number of pills and/or injections), gastrointestinal problems, anaemia, dermatological problems and neuropsychological problems. The statistical analysis applied a mixed logit model to estimate preference weights and relative importance scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicated that the sustained virologic response rate was the most important attribute to participants. Physicians placed an even greater weight on the efficacy of treatments with a relative importance score of 9.33 [95% confidence interval: (6.93-11.91)], as compared with 6.16 [95% confidence interval: (4.34-8.15)] for patients. Neuropsychological problems ranked second for patients and physicians, and were more important to treatment-naive patients than to treatment-experienced patients or physicians. Gastrointestinal problems, anaemia and dermatological problems were of minor importance to all participants. These findings may be explained by the improvement in the management of physical adverse reactions over the last few years, thus making treatment easier to tolerate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is the first conjoint analysis assessing and comparing the preferences of patients and physicians in hepatitis C virus.
authors.affiliation: aAmaris, Paris, France bBoehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH Vienna, Austria cBoehringer Ingelheim RCV GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany dThe Hepatitis C Trust, London, UK eAmaris, London, UK fUniversity Paris Descartes; APHP, Department of Hepatology, Cochin Hospital; INSERM UMS-20, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Maud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pacou
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: Bastian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hass
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Taieb
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cognet
authors.forename: Stanislas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D010465:Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents