Background: Assessment of patient satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy is generating increasing interest in clinical practice, since the outcome is directly related with compliance with therapy and its effectiveness. Currently, there is no validated patient satisfaction questionnaire to evaluate this factor as related to control of the disease.
Patients and methods: An "ad hoc" questionnaire--Cuestionario Español de Satisfacción con el Tratamiento Antiretroviral (CESTA), Spanish Antiretroviral Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire--was developed to evaluate satisfaction in patients switching to a simplified regimen. In a second phase, the questionnaire was validated in an observational study including 321 patients divided into two cohorts (patients switching to a simplified regimen and patients maintaining the same regimen).
Results: A total of 99% and 93% patients, respectively, completed the questionnaire at baseline and at the end-of-study visit. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency and test-retest reliability were 0.82 and 0.69, respectively. Patients switching to a simplified regimen showed a statistically significant higher overall satisfaction score at the third-month visit than at baseline.
Conclusions: The CESTA questionnaire is a valid instrument for use in clinical practice and provides valuable information on patient satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy.