title: Patient experience with intravenous biologic therapies for ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ulcerative colitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to describe patient experience with intravenous (IV) biologics for ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn's disease, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or ulcerative colitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted in 405 patients with these autoimmune diseases who were receiving an IV biologic to treat their disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On a 7-point scale (1= not at all satisfied; 7= very satisfied), mean satisfaction with IV medication was rated 6.1; 77% of patients rated satisfaction as 6 or 7. The most frequently perceived benefits of IV therapy were related to supervision provided by health care professionals. Most patients (82%, n=332) preferred their IV medication to subcutaneous injection. The three most common reasons for preferring IV were not wanting to self-inject (43%), less frequent dosing (34%), and preference for administration by a health care professional (24%). African-American/black patients had a stronger preference for IV administration than Caucasian/white patients (97% vs 80%,P<0.05) and a greater dislike of needles/self-injection (71% vs 40%,P<0.05). Hospital outpatient departments were not rated as well as physician in-office infusion. Only half (49%) of the patients reported that both they and their physician equally influenced the choice to switch from subcutaneous to IV therapy, and only 30% were given a choice of infusion center.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Users of IV biologics are highly satisfied with their medications and perceive the opportunity for health care provider interaction at their infusion facilities as an advantage of their regimen. These findings support continued need for IV therapeutic options and shared decision-making between patients and physicians while selecting biologic treatments.
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan.
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bolge
authors.affiliation: Payer Provider Insights & Analytics, Janssen Services, LLC, Titusville, NJ.
authors.forename: Helen M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Eldridge
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Horsham, PA.
authors.forename: Jennifer H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lofland
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Horsham, PA.
authors.forename: Caitlin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ravin
authors.affiliation: Value Communications, Medaxial Group, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.affiliation: Health Economics and Outcomes Research, Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan.
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Ingham
keywords: anti-TNF; biologic; intravenous; patient experience; preference; subcutaneous