This study aimed to determine patient-related predictors of treatment satisfaction in fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS)-patients.
In a cross-sectional survey, participants with self-reported diagnosis of FMS were recruited by FMS-self help organisations and clinical institutions. The patients answered demographic and medical questionnaires, the Fibromyalgia Survey Questionnaire (FSQ) including the Somatic Severity Score (SSS) and Widespread Pain Index (WPI), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4), and rated their treatment satisfaction on an 11-point Likert scale. The impact of patient-related variables (age, gender, partnership, educational level, time since onset of pain, time since FMS-diagnosis, health status since diagnosis, membership in FMS self-help organisations, polysymptomatic distress, anxiety and depression) and types of treatment on treatment satisfaction were tested by a multiple regression analysis.
The study sample (n=1651 patients) was composed mainly of middle-aged women with a long disease history, and 83.9% fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria of 2010. There was considerate variety regarding treatment satisfaction in FMS-patients, 14.8% reported no, 31.7% low, 40.8% moderate and 12.7% high satisfaction. Higher satisfaction was predicted by longer time since FMS diagnosis (p=0.03), improved health status since FMS-diagnosis (p<0.0001), lower depression score (p=0.005) and higher amount of active therapies (p<0.0001). Other sociodemographic (age, gender etc.) and disease-related variables (polysymptomatic distress intensity) did not influence treatment satisfaction.
The results of the study illustrate the influence of patient-related factors on treatment satisfaction. Treating comorbid depression and enabling patients to actively cope with the disease might prove successful in improving treatment satisfaction of FMS-patients.