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Patient Preferences for Eye Drop Characteristics
A Willingness-to-Pay Analysis
Henry D. Jampel, MD, MHS;
Gail F. Schwartz, MD;
Alan L. Robin, MD;
Donald A. Abrams, MD;
Elizabeth Johnson, MS;
Rhonda B. Miller, COA
Arch Ophthalmol. 2003;121:540-546.
Objective To determine the importance that patients place on the characteristics of topical therapy for lowering intraocular pressure.
Methods We administered a willingness-to-pay instrument to 230 patients from 4 glaucoma subspecialty practices, asking them how much they would be willing to pay to obtain particular characteristics in an eye drop. Data about the subjects' demographics, economic status, attitudes toward eye drops and systemic medications, and symptoms from eye drops were correlated with their willingness to pay using 2-part models.
Results Of our subjects, 169 (77%) were using eye drops to lower their intraocular pressure. Fatigue, blurred vision, and tearing were the most commonly reported symptoms. Eye drop medications most valued by the subjects did not produce blurring, drowsiness, or inhibition of sexual performance; 85% were willing to pay more for an eye drop that did not cause blurring, and on average they were willing to pay 40% more. Higher educational levels and income were generally associated with a willingness to pay more for eye drops with desirable attributes.
Main Outcome Measure Willingness to pay more (in dollars).
Conclusions Patient preferences for eye drop characteristics can be assessed using a willingness-to-pay instrument. Patients place differing value on various eye drop characteristics. A better understanding of patient preference could lead to better compliance.
From the Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine (Drs Jampel, Schwartz, Robin, and Abrams and Ms Miller), and the Departments of International Health (Dr Robin) and Biostatistics (Ms Johnson), Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. No financial support was received from any source for this work. Dr Jampel has worked as a consultant for and received speaker's fees from Alcon (Ft Worth, Tex), Allergan (Irvine, Calif), and Pharmacia (Peapack, NJ). He is the recipient of a Physician Scientist Award from Research to Prevent Blindness, New York, NY. Dr Robin is on the speakers' bureau for Merck (Whitehouse Station, NJ), Alcon, and Pharmacia and has consulted for and received reseach funding in the past from Alcon and Pharmacia.
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Arch Ophthalmol 2004;122:376-378.
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