• Fouad Fayad, Nelly R Ziade, Georges Merheb, Said Attoui, Alla Aiko, Kamel Mroue, and Abdel Fattah Masri.
• Rheumatology Department, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon, fouadfayad@yahoo.fr.
• Patient Prefer Adher. 2018 Jan 1; 12: 1619-1625.

IntroductionTo investigate the treatment preferences of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and determine whether these preferences are related to specific disease characteristics.MethodA national survey was designed to collect demographic, disease, treatment, and preference data on RA patients enrolled in 7 private and university hospital clinics in Lebanon. Associations between patient factors and treatment preferences for RA were analyzed by χ2 or Mann-Whitney U test.ResultsA total of 693 patients (83% female; 67% aged 41-70 years) consulting 7 trained rheumatologists completed the survey. Most patients (80%) had established RA >24 months, and approximately one-third (34%) were in remission according to the disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28). Most (87%) were receiving oral agents (60% oral only). Almost two-thirds of patients (64%) expressed a preference for oral treatments, and more than half (53%) ranked doctor's advice as the most influential factor when choosing treatment. In univariable analysis, health coverage, radiographic damage, disease duration, current therapy, and previous side effects were significantly associated with treatment preference. In multivariable analyses, only radiographic damage and current route of administration were independently associated with preference (both P<0.001), with patients with no radiographic damage and those on oral-only therapy being more likely to prefer oral agents.ConclusionRA patients expressed a preference for oral rather than subcutaneous/intravenous-administered drugs. Understanding patients' preferences may help to inform policymaker decisions.

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