People with rheumatoid arthritis want less time-consuming treatment – and would sacrifice other benefits

People with rheumatoid arthritis could be willing to accept treatments with lower efficacy and greater risk if they were less time-consuming, highlights research published in Arthritis Care and Research.
A total of 901 people with rheumatoid arthritis were assessed and presented with a series of treatment-choice questions.
Each hypothetical therapy regimen included six qualities: response rate; mode of administration; treatment duration; treatment frequency; and the risks of immediate, mild and serious treatment reactions.
Analysis of the questionnaire found that people were most attracted to strategies that resulted in one-hour changes in treatment duration. Decrease in the frequency of treatment was the second-most important factor.
The study participants were shown to weigh any changes in treatment frequency against their possible impact on duration, and vice-versa.
The research team suggests that offering less time consuming treatments could therefore improve adherence. But a spokesperson from Arthritis Research UK explains that biologics have revolutionised life for people with rheumatoid arthritis:
“Although infliximab is administered by infusion, which can be time-consuming, other types of anti-TNF therapy can be given by injection and can be self-administered by the patient, so take less time.
“Considering the benefits in the reduction of symptoms and the overall improvement in health and wellbeing, it seems like a small price to pay.”