Patients' Preferences Regarding Osteoarthritis Medications: An Adaptive Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis Study

Background and Objective: Osteoarthritis (OA) patients consider ranges of harms and benefits offered by alternative pharmaceutical treatments. Choice-based experiments provide a mechanism to value outcomes, but they can pose a significant burden on respondents. Thus, the number of attributes studied is typically artificially restricted. We used an adaptive choice-based conjoint (ACBC) method that allows the inclusion of more attributes affecting patients' preferences regarding non-invasive pharmaceutical treatment for OA than traditional choice-based technique to better understand the trade-offs that OA patients consider, without increasing respondents' burden. Methods: After consulting with OA patients and public involvement (PPI) group, we constructed an online ACBC survey consisting of 9 attributes and a total of 31 levels (two benefits, four harms and three concerning the availability and modality of treatment). A cohort of patients with a diagnosis of OA and reporting joint pain within the last 12 months were recruited. Results: Our study (n 43) showed that the most important factor in choosing OA medication was the risk of heart attacks and strokes (19.5%), followed by the risk of addiction (18.4%), risk of kidney and liver side effects (17.5%), risk stomach side effects (14.6%), availability (11.6%), frequency of use (5.3%), pain reduction (5%), way of taking medication (4.6%) and mobility improvement (3.5%). Conclusion: ACBC provides a mechanism for understanding patient preferences that address the limitations of traditional choice-based experiments. For OA patients, avoidance of the risk of side effects were the most affecting medication choices, and reductions in pain and mobility were the least. Clinicians discussing options for medication with OA patients should discuss the potential trade-offs in terms of risks and benefits.