Background: The complexity and cost of injection treatment can represent a formidable challenge for patients affected by a chronic illness, particularly those whose treatment is primarily preventative and only modestly effective on the more conspicuous symptomatic aspects of the disease process. The aim of this investigation was to identify which factors most influenced nonadherent behavior with the available disease-modifying injection therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS).
Methods: A multicenter, observational (three-wave) study using surveys was developed and administered to patients with MS through the World Wide Web. Healthcare providers at 17 neurology clinics recruited patients for the study.
Results: A total of 798 patients responded to the baseline wave of the study (708 responded to all three waves). The nonadherence rates for all patients (missing one or more injections) across these waves remained relatively stable at 39%, 37%, and 36%, respectively. The most common reason participants listed for missing injections was that they simply forgot to administer the medication (58%). Other factors including injection-site reactions, quality of life, patients' perceptions on the injectable medications, hope, depression, and support were also assessed in relation to adherence.
Conclusions: This study characterizes factors that are associated with failure to fully adhere with disease modifying injection therapy for MS and underscores the principles associated with optimizing adherence and its implications for effective treatment of the disease process in MS.