Patient and parent preferences for immunoglobulin treatments: a conjoint analysis

Abstract

Objectives:

The purpose was to quantify patient and parent preferences for administration attributes of immunoglobulin (IG) treatments; and determine which administration attributes were most important to users of IG treatment and whether patients and parents have similar preferences for administration attributes.

Methods:

US adult patients and parents of children with a self-reported physician diagnosis of a primary immunodeficiency disorder completed a best-practice web-enabled choice-format conjoint survey that presented a series of 12 choice questions, each including a pair of hypothetical IG-treatment profiles. After reviewing current therapies, each profile was defined by mode of administration, frequency, location, number of needle sticks, and treatment duration. Before answering the choice questions, respondents were told to assume all treatments worked equally well. Choice questions were based on a D-efficient experimental design. Preference weights for attribute levels were estimated using random-parameters logit for each sample (adult patients and parents). Tests were performed to determine potential interactions among the administration attributes. All respondents provided online informed consent.

Results:

In total, 252 patients and 66 parents completed the choice questions appropriately. Overall, both groups preferred a home setting, monthly frequency, fewer needle sticks, and shorter treatment durations of IG treatment relative to alternative choices (p < 0.05). Mode of administration was the least important attribute to both samples; however, parents strongly preferred self-administration to an appointment with a healthcare professional (p < 0.05), whereas patients slightly preferred self-administration but were indifferent to the two modes.

Limitations:

Respondents evaluate hypothetical treatments and differences can arise between stated and actual choices.

Conclusions:

Considering the hypothetical treatments evaluated, IG treatments that provide the option of a home setting, monthly frequency, fewer needle sticks, and shorter treatment durations may address the needs of both patients and parents. Patients and parents have different preferences for administration attributes of IG treatments.

Keywords::

• Patient preferences
• Choice-format conjoint analysis
• Immunoglobulin treatment
• Parent preferences

Transparency

Declaration of funding

This study was funded by Baxter Healthcare Corporation. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Baxter Healthcare Corporation.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The authors declare that they have no competing interests. AFM and VK have no conflicts of interest to declare. Drs ML, RI, and JL-M have stock ownership in Baxter. As the supervisor for the study, AFM had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. The peer reviewers of this manuscript have disclosed that they have no relevant financial relationships.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Immune Deficiency Foundation for their assistance in locating respondents who were interested in participating in this study, as well as the respondents who chose to participate in either the pilot study or the main study. The authors also would like to thank Paul Shannon and Stuart Yarr for programming the main study and Ryan Ziemiecki for his assistance in analyzing the data.