BACKGROUND: Physician surveys on hereditary angioedema (HAE) management in 2010 and 2013 revealed important trends in HAE care.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate current HAE management and the impact of new treatment options on physician practice patterns over time.
METHODS: During June and July 2019, 5382 physicians were contacted by means of postal mail to complete a 47-question survey; 177 responded (3%).
RESULTS: Across the 3 surveys, the home replaced the emergency department as the most typically reported setting for HAE attack treatment (54.3% vs 11.6% in 2010 and 32.5% in 2013; P < .001). Physicians reported C1 esterase inhibitor (C1-INH) as the most typically prescribed long-term prophylactic treatment (LTP) (60.0% vs 20.4% in 2010 and 56.7% in 2013; P < .001). Subcutaneous LTP medications were most typically prescribed over intravenous (C1-INH, 41.4%; subcutaneous lanadelumab, 21%; intravenous C1-INH, 18.6%). Danazol, the most frequently prescribed LTP treatment, dropped to 6.4% (55.8% in 2010 and 23.4% in 2013; P < .001). The strongest nonefficacy factor influencing clinician treatment choice changed over time, with cost and (or) insurance coverage increasing to 43.7% (from 24.4% in 2010 and 40.5% in 2013; P = .001), whereas the concern over adverse effects dropped to 16.2% (from 55.8% in 2010 and 29.5% in 2013; P < .001). Physician-reported patient satisfaction remains high, with only 1.5% of physicians indicating patients are not satisfied with treatment.
CONCLUSION: The US physician survey data reflect improvements in the HAE management in recent years. Therapeutic advances in HAE have led to reported higher rates of home treatment of HAE attacks, reduced concern for adverse treatment effects, and high levels of patient satisfaction. Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anai.2020.10.009