Case examples of our patient report outcomes (PRO) projects
18.11.2020
As a part of real world evidence, patient reported outcomes (PRO) give us information about the functionality and effectiveness of a medicine in the patient’s everyday life. This information can be used, for example, to support product development, pricing and reimbursement applications, marketing of medicinal products, and development of pharmacotherapy support services.
Together with our research pharmacy network, we have carried out several surveys, which have provided us up-to-date data. The PRO studies are especially important when the data is not available from other data sources. For example, health related quality of life, treatment satisfaction and patients’ own role in treatment selection processes are such topics. PRO data can be linked to registry data. One example of this is our nationwide cancer study.
Please, find below few examples of PRO studies we have carried out on different therapeutic areas:
Diabetes
One large scale follow-up study provided unique data on how diabetic patients experienced the effects of the changes in the reimbursement status for diabetes medicines that came into force in the beginning of 2017.The study was carried out in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland and the Helsinki University Hospital Endocrinology Outpatient Clinic.
Find the publication here.
Hypercholesterolaemia
In one large-scale project we collected data about treating high cholesterol levels, i.e. pharmacotherapy and matters associated with the execution of the treatment. Over a thousand patients with increased risk of cardiovascular events participated the survey. The study highlighted the factors affecting the adherence to and persistence of statin treatment, such as the effect of the negative tone used in the public discussion. The study was carried out in collaboration with Amgen.
Read the abstract of the study here.
Overactive bladder
Via research pharmacy network, smaller patient populations can be reached as well. One good example is our survey in patients using mirabegron for overactive bladder. In this survey we evaluated persistence of medication use, symptom improvement, and quality of life among Finnish mirabegron users. The study was carried out in collaboration with Astellas Pharma.
Read the publication here
Smoking withdrawal
Pharmacotherapy-assisted withdrawal from smoking we have studied in two projects. In the first project, we mapped out smoking habits of those who started varenicline use, and their previous attempts to quit. In the follow-up study, we gathered information about support and advice services designed for quitters. The study was carried out in collaboration with Pfizer.
Read the first publication from the study here. You can find the results from the follow-up study in the Finnish Medical Journal (in Finnish) here.
Rheumatoid arthritis
We investigated methotrexate use and treatment adherence in patients using biological antirheumatic drugs. The study was carried out in collaboration with Roche.
Read the abstract here.
Other therapeutic areas we have studied:
- Atrial fibrillation
- Neuropathic pain
- ADHD
- Parkinson’s disease
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Prostate cancer
- Hormonal contraception
- Psoriasis
