Study investigates subjective perception of stress in patients who receive intravitreal injections

PARIS — A study carried out at a university hospital in Clermont-Ferrand, France, measured stress and satisfaction of patients over 1 year of treatment with intravitreal injections for age-related macular degeneration.

“Over time, as patients get over the fear of injections and feel that something is done to improve their condition, stress decreases and life quality improves,” Camille Bosc, MD, said at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology.

Camille Bosc

The study was based on a 22-item questionnaire administered to patients who received intravitreal injections of Lucentis (ranibizumab, Genentech/Novartis) according to a treat-and-extend protocol. All patients received a minimum of six yearly injections.

“Stress following the diagnosis of AMD was graded 6 on average on a scale of 0 to 10, decreasing to 2.9 after 6 months. Stress related to the injection was graded 2/10 initially and was down to 0 after 6 months,” Bosc said.

Monthly visits had a reassuring effect on 96% of the patients, but 39% felt the burden of frequent visits, mainly due to difficulties with transportation.

“More than 60% were happier to receive treatment at the time of visits, and 51% said they would be prepared to accept longer intervals in view of this possibility,” Bosc said.

The average satisfaction with quality of care was 9 out of 10, and after 6 months of follow-up, 57% of patients perceived an improvement in life quality.

“Some of the negative results in terms of satisfaction and life quality may be related to differences in the personalized approach. Taking care of the psychological aspects of the treatment is crucial with these patients,” Bosc said. - by Michela Cimberle

Disclosure: Bosc reports no relevant financial disclosures.