Multiple Sclerosis patients’ awareness of disease and compliance to pharmacological treatment with Disease Modifying Drugs (DMDs)

Background: Disease-modifying drugs (DMDs) have shown to be effective in reducing the frequency and severity of disease relapses in Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS). Patient decisions to commence pharmacological treatment, to continue it or cease it may be influenced by several factors such as patients’ emotional states and symptoms of the disease. Materials and Methods: This study employs data from 567 patients’ medical records. The observed patients were referred to a neurological centre in Italy from 2001 to 2008. Initially, data were retrospectively analyzed through a multinomial logit model. Next, 143 patients undergoing treatment with DMDs were interviewed and their probability in proceeding with treatment was estimated through a probit model. Results: The majority of patients commence treatment with DMDs within 3 months from the diagnosis. Among the factors influencing this choice were: young age, anxiety and some symptoms of the disease. A higher awareness of the benefits obtained from the treatment had a positive impact on its maintenance; a negative impact was exerted, instead, by the need to take other drugs to deal with side effects and by the years of treatment. The estimated probability to continue the treatment with DMDs irregularly is 41.45%. Conclusions: This study examines the relationship between the time of diagnosis and the successive stages of the disease. As significant expenditure is associated with MS treatment, knowledge of the factors likely to determine the commencement of treatment and of influencing compliance are likely to help in resources planning.