Evaluation of patient expectations and treatment satisfaction after 1-year tadalafil therapy for erectile...

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a self-reported condition and satisfaction with sexual performance is individual, subjective, and multi-factorial. Treatment success depends on several outcomes. Tadalafil is a long-acting, selective inhibitor of phosphodiesterase 5 that has been shown to be effective at treating men with ED.

To investigate patient's ED treatment expectations at baseline; patient satisfaction with tadalafil treatment after 12 months; factors associated with satisfaction; and effect of early tadalafil treatment satisfaction on tadalafil continuation at 12 months.

The Determinants of Continued Use of Tadalafil study is a 12-month, prospective, pan-European, noninterventional, observational study, which enrolled 1,900 patients with ED wishing to initiate or change their treatment to tadalafil. Assessments were made on predefined treatment outcomes in a routine clinical setting.

International Index of Erectile Function-erectile function domain scores (at baseline, 1, 6, and 12 month visit), ED Inventory of Treatment Satisfaction (EDITS) scores (after 1, 6, and 12 months), and patient expectation questionnaire (at baseline visit) were analyzed for these patients.

Data were available from 1,567 patients (82%) after 12 months, with similar baseline characteristics as the initial cohort. Treatment expectations identified as important included: erection hardness and ability to maintain erection through intercourse completion (>92% of patients); confidence, partner satisfaction, and naturalness (>84% of patients); rapid effect and long duration of treatment (>75% of patients). Continued tadalafil use from 1,319 (84%) patients at 12 months were reported. Total EDITS scores for those continuing treatment was 85.9 (95% CI: 85.1-86.7). Increased satisfaction was associated with higher effectiveness, number of sexual attempts, partner support, good relationships, and good drug tolerance. Treatment satisfaction at 1 month was best predictive of treatment continuation at 12 months.

Eighty-four percent of patients reported continued use of tadalafil after 12 months. High satisfaction after first month of treatment was the best predictor of treatment continuation.