To evaluate patients’ perceptions of gout management objectives. To examine patient/respondent perceptions on gout therapy goals, we performed a cross-sectional Internet survey of people who visited the Gout and Uric Acid Education Society’s website. The study used the chi-square test for categorical or t-test for continuous variables. Among the 320 survey respondents with physician-diagnosed gout, mean age was 57 years, 72 percent were male, 77 percent White; mean gout duration was 7.6 years, gout flares in the last year were 5.2, and medical comorbidities were common, 2.7. Gout was reported by two-thirds of respondents to have very severe or severe symptoms, and gout was regarded as one of the top two health problems with a negative influence on quality of life. Only one-third of respondents’ physicians spent 50% or more of their time discussing gout therapy during a clinic appointment. Only 54% of those polled had ULT prescribed to them by their doctor. According to patient preferences, the best long-term gout therapy options were serum urate lowering and gout symptom management, followed by serum urate lowering. Respondents ranked the following as the most essential factors in ensuring gout treatment satisfaction: (1) patient education; (2) effective physician–patient communication; (3) dietary and lifestyle changes; (4) serum urate monitoring and target attainment; (5) pain management and flare avoidance; and (6) medication management
Patients identifying gout symptom management and serum urate level monitoring as the most essential treatment goals is useful for physicians and guideline makers.
