Patient treatment engagement scale (PTES) for inflammatory bowel disease: exploring background factors

The Patient Treatment Engagement Scale (PTES) is a simplified tool for assessing patient involvement in treatment decision-making, which is an important element of patient-centered care. Shared Decision Making (SDM) is the standard measure in this field; however, it is time-consuming and often difficult for non-physician healthcare professionals to apply in routine practice. Therefore, in this study we adopted PTES as a more pragmatic alternative and exploratively analyzed factors associated with PTES scores among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Individual patient data were collected via a web-based questionnaire. Items potentially associated with PTES, based on previous studies, were screened, and multicollinearity was assessed using Kendall's τ. A multiple regression model was constructed using the ordinary least squares method, and standardized β values and variance inflation factor (VIF) values were calculated. Subgroup analyses were performed separately for ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), and cross-validation was conducted.

The main factors associated with PTES scores were the number of treatment options (β = 0.191), presence of complications (β = 0.128), trust in the attending physician (β = 0.119), number of trusted healthcare professionals (β = 0.099), and availability of supportive communities (β = 0.068). The number of treatment options had a particularly strong influence on UC patients, whereas the number of trusted healthcare professionals had a greater impact on CD patients.

Providing multiple treatment options and building trust with healthcare providers are crucial factors associated with higher PTES scores, reflecting greater patient engagement in treatment decision-making.