Understanding the Patient Perception of Statin Experience: A Qualitative Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Pharmacovigilance

Background:

• Statin intolerance (SI) affects patients with dyslipidemia, but their experiences are not well understood.
• Existing instruments do not capture the full spectrum of patient-reported symptoms and impacts of statin therapy.
• Understanding the patient perspective is crucial for informing clinical practice and treatment adherence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a patient survey to define statin intolerance from the patient's perspective.
• To inform clinical practice regarding patient experiences with statins.
• To identify patient characteristics and barriers associated with treatment discontinuation due to statin-related difficulties.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative concept elicitation interviews were conducted with 65 patients across 12 European sites.
• A semi-structured interview guide was developed based on literature and clinician input.
• Interviews focused on describing the patient experience to develop a conceptual framework for the survey.

Main Results:

• Patients reported a broad range of symptoms, including muscle, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, fatigue, mood, and cognitive issues.
• Impacts encompassed limitations in physical functioning, social engagement, emotional well-being, sleep, productivity, and increased healthcare utilization.
• Key elements for the survey framework include demographics, clinical characteristics, health beliefs, side-effect history, and symptom/impact severity.

Conclusions:

• Patient-reported symptoms and impacts of statin therapy are more diverse than typically discussed in clinical settings.
• The developed patient survey can capture comprehensive information on statin difficulties.
• This tool may help identify patients at higher risk of discontinuing statin treatment.