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Treatment satisfaction varied for fibromyalgia patients
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Patients with fibromyalgia syndrome reported varied levels of treatment satisfaction that were predicted by specific patient-related factors, according to study results.
Researchers in Germany conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1,651 patients (mean age, 54.3 years; 95.2% women) with a self-reported diagnosis of fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) who were recruited by FMS self-help organizations and clinics from November 2010 through April 2011. The Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire, including the Somatic Severity Score (SSS) and Widespread Pain Index, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 were used to determine health status and symptoms. An 11-point Likert scale measured satisfaction with current treatment.
Multiple regression analysis weighed the impact of patient-related variables — including age, gender, partnership, education, time since onset of pain, health status and time since FMS diagnosis, membership in FMS self-help organizations, and anxiety and depression — plus therapy type on treatment satisfaction.
Patients had a long disease history (mean since FMS diagnosis, 6.6 years) and time of chronic widespread pain (mean, 16.6 years), and 83.9% met the 2010 American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria for FMS.
No treatment satisfaction was reported by 14.8% of patients; 31.7% experienced low satisfaction; 40.8%, moderate satisfaction; and 12.7%, high satisfaction.
Time since FMS diagnosis (P=.03), improvement of health status since diagnosis (P<.001), lower depression scores (P=.005) and greater number of current therapies (P<.001) predicted higher patient satisfaction. Age, gender and polysymptomatic distress intensity did not significantly influence satisfaction.
“There was considerate variety regarding treatment satisfaction in FMS patients,” the researchers concluded. “These results illustrate the importance of patient-centered factors such as comorbid depression and active coping for treatment satisfaction in FMS.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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