Usability of the Certolizumab Pegol Auto-Injection Device in Australian Patients with Chronic Rheumatic Diseases: Results from a Market Research Study

PURPOSE: To determine the usability of the ergonomically designed certolizumab pegol pre-filled pen (CZP PFP) in Australian patients with active ankylosing spondylitis, active psoriatic arthritis or moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: CZP-naive patients were recruited from six clinical centers in Australia between November 2018 and May 2019. Patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) reviewed training materials and completed pre-injection surveys; patients then self-administered ≥1 injection with the CZP PFP during each of three visits. Patients and HCPs then completed post-injection surveys. Some survey questions were adapted from the self-injection assessment questionnaire (SIAQ(v2.0)). RESULTS: Seventy patients participated (65 completed 3 visits); 33 were biologic-experienced. All patients agreed that training materials were informative; 94% found them easy to understand. Pre-injection, 89% of patients reported little or no anxiety about having injections; 67% (79% in biologic-experienced) were very confident about self-injecting the correct dose with the PFP. Ninety percent of patients were satisfied/very satisfied with their first experience with the CZP PFP; those with pre-injection anxiety reported lower satisfaction (43% vs 79% “very satisfied”). Confidence and satisfaction increased as visits progressed (for Visit 3 vs Visit 2: 69% vs 56% “very convenient”; 75% vs 67% “very confident”; 71% vs 57% “very satisfied”). All HCPs were confident in their patients’ competence to self-inject and thought all patients had overall positive experiences. CONCLUSION: Australian patients with chronic rheumatic disease reported high levels of confidence and satisfaction following initial use of the CZP PFP. The availability of devices with patient-centered design innovations may help overcome barriers to self-injection for improved adherence/outcomes.