Patient's Perspectives Important for Early Anti-Tumor Necrosis Factor Treatment in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Background/Aim: We hypothesized that limited information is given to patients on the risks and benefits of individual therapy, and feedback is lacking to verify if patients correctly interpreted the given information. We assessed the perspectives of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) concerning the treatment-associated risks/benefits of infliximab. Methods: Patients were asked to complete a survey regarding the benefits and risks of infliximab. Results are reported as descriptive statistics. Comparisons between groups were analyzed using independent t tests and the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: In total, 152 IBD patients completed the questionnaire. Fifty-seven percent (78/138) estimated the 1-year remission rate from infliximab to be > 50%. Seventy-one percent (104/146) indicated they would not take a drug with risks reflecting those estimated for infliximab if the 1-year remission rate was < 75%. Crohn's disease patients and those recalling a discussion regarding the risks/benefits of infliximab treatment had higher estimates of the 1-year remission rate with infliximab than ulcerative colitis patients (p = 0.03) and patients who did not recall previous information (p = 0.03). Perceptions were independent of age and disease duration. Conclusion: IBD patients misperceive the risks and benefits of infliximab. The majority of patients would not accept treatment-related risks if the 1-year remission rate was < 75%. Counseling on treatment-associated risks and benefits should be ameliorated. Copyright (c) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel