Patients Report High Satisfaction With Home Administration of Monoclonal Antibody for MS

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who switched from outpatient to home administration of natalizumab reported a positive experience with the change in setting, according to study results published in Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders.

“In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, French health authorities allowed the home administration of natalizumab by a healthcare-at-home service,” explained researchers from the University Hospital of Rennes in the study background. “We evaluated the patients’ perception of care quality following the transition from day-hospital to home natalizumab administration.”

The prospective study included 30 consecutive patients with relapsing-remitting MS. Patients were younger, with an age range between 25 and 58 years, had well-controlled MS, and had been on natalizumab for a median 5.45 years.

Between June 2020 and November 2021, 306 home infusions were performed. Overall, 3 patients withdrew from the study: two opted to return to the day hospital for infusion, and one was lost to follow-up.

Compared with baseline, average scores for patient experience dimensions on the MS-specific MusiCare questionnaire were higher at 12 months. Notably, the study showed significant improvement in the “experience of relationships with health care professionals” dimension.

Although global scores on the quality-of-life questionnaire MusiQol were stable over 12 months, the dimensions for coping and friendship significantly improved between baseline and month 12, according to the study.

Patients indicated high overall satisfaction with home infusions (satisfaction scores averaged 9.1 on a 10-point scale). The most common areas of dissatisfaction were pain during infusions (21.8%) and contradictions among health care professionals (17.2%).

“This new practice has a positive impact on the experience of patients relative to hospital care, while remaining safe and effective for disease control,” researchers wrote. “This therapeutic perspective is promising and of interest for patients who would like to be treated at home, which should help to establish its maintenance in the long term.”

Reference:
Lamy S, Veillard D, Doyen H, et al. Switching from natalizumab administration at the day hospital to administration at home. A 1 year prospective study of patient experience and quality of life in 30 consecutive patients with multiple sclerosis (TYSAD-35). Mult Scler Relat Disord. Published online March 23, 2023. doi:10.1016/j.msard.2023.104657