Korean J Intern Med > Volume 40(6); 2025 > Article
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Rheumatology
Korean J Intern Med. 2025;40(6):1042-1051.         doi: https://doi.org/10.3904/kjim.2024.442
Treatment satisfaction and its determinants in Korean patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus
Hyo Jin Choi1, Mi Ryoung Seo1, Eunji Kim2,3, and Han Joo Baek4
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea
2Department of Preventive medicine, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
3Artificial Intelligence and Big-Data Convergence Center, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Korea
4Department of Internal Medicine, Pyeongchang Health Center and County Hospital, Pyeongchang, Korea
Corresponding Author: Han Joo Baek  , Tel: +82-33-330-4839, Fax: +82-32-458-2742, Email: baekhj429@googlemail.com
Received: December 30, 2024;   Revised: March 11, 2025;   Accepted: March 25, 2025.
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Abstract
Background/Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the treatment satisfaction and its determinants in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2021 and December 2021. Data on demographics, clinical features, and responses to the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication (TSQM) and Euroquality of life 5 dimensions (EQ-5D) were collected.
Results: In total, 215 patients were included, comprising 114 with RA and 101 with SLE. The cohort was predominantly female (82.3%; 73.7% in patients with RA and 92.1% in patients with SLE). Only 16.7% reported being ‘satisfied’ with their sumtreatment (global satisfaction score of TSQM ≥ 80), with patients with RA (18.4%) and those with SLE (14.9%). Patients with RA showed significant differences in global satisfaction and factors such as educational attainment, household income, global assessment, disease activity, and EQ-5D visual analogue scale scores. In contrast, the incidence of SLE showed no significant differences except non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs users. In multivariable analyses, household income was independently associated with global satisfaction in patients with RA, but not in those with SLE. Sensitivity analysis, excluding patients with moderate to high disease activity, showed similar results.
Conclusions: Our study results suggest that despite the low disease activity, there is an unmet need for treatment satisfaction among patients with RA. To maximize treatment satisfaction in these patients, an individualized, patient-centered approach that considers various quality-of-life and socioeconomic factors beyond disease activity, is required. For lupus, additional comprehensive research on treatment satisfaction and its determinants is necessary.
Keywords: Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication ; EuroQol 5-dimension ; Rheumatoid arthritis ; Systemic lupus erythematosus

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