OBJECTIVES

: Interferon beta-1a is indicated for patients with relapsing forms of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and usually used as first line therapy in the Brazilian public health system. The objective of this study was to assess patient satisfaction with the patient support program using a survey with MS patients receiving interferon beta-1a.

METHODS

: A questionnaire consisting of 20 objective questions was developed by the Merck PSP Team and sent to patients recently using interferon beta 1a participating in the PSP. An online survey was sent to 965 prospective participants. PSP specific information was measured including: time of enrollment in the PSP, quality of the online visits, assessment of advantages of the program, clarity of information provided online, frequency of contact with the PSP, and the level of satisfaction with the support that was provided.

RESULTS

: Between November 2017 and April 2018, 550 responses were recorded. The majority of the patients originated from the Southeast Region (60.9%) and 71% were female. 41.8% reported that never had difficulty to access the medication, 58.3% were enrolled in the program for more than 24 months, 50.5% classified web visit as optimal and availability/convenience were cited as the main benefits of this kind of visit. About 80% of the patients were very satisfied with the quality of the service and believed that the clarity of information and frequency of contact were very important for their treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

: Our study indicates a high level of program satisfaction among MS patients due to continuous follow-up and clarity of information from the multidisciplinary team. In addition, many patients were enrolled in the PSP for 2 years or longer, suggesting the potential benefit brought by the program. Further research to assess the PSP’s impact on adherence and clinical outcomes remains to be done.