Values and Preferences of Pharmacotherapy in Patients with Primary and Secondary Prevention of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease: a Mixed-methods Study

Background Pharmacotherapy is the cornerstone of primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (ASCVD), but the values and preferences of community patients for pharmacotherapy remain unclear. Objective To understand the values and preferences surrounding pharmacotherapy among community patients at risk of or undergoing treatment for ASCVD, which would help clarify the individualized treatment burden and provide patient-centered clinical practice. Methods This study employed a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design. Firstly, we recruited eligible patients in West China Hospital of Sichuan University and Yulin Community Health Service Center in Wuhou District, Chengdu City from November 2021 to January 2022. for a focus group discussion, aiming to collect qualitative insights into their experience, values, and preferences for medication use. The software MAXQDA 2020 was used to support qualitative data analysis, and Colaizzi's seven-step approach was further used to identify themes. After completing the qualitative phase, a questionnaire was designed based on the emergent themes to further quantitatively analyze the values and preferences regarding pharmacotherapy. Results Four themes emerged from the qualitative data, including knowledge and use of medications, barriers of medication use, facilitators of medication use, and need for medical services. A total of 186 valid questionnaires were collected in the quantitative study (response rate of 93.5%). The quantitative data showed a commonality in missed dose and confirmed the existence of social stigma and treatment burden in this group of participants. Although preferences in medication use were highly heterogeneous, participants generally preferred taking fewer medications with less frequency, and were less likely to use injectable medications. Conclusion The study suggests that it may be appropriate to increase the use of compound preparations, and make treatment plans in accordance with patients' daily lives and work to reduce the treatment burden of pharmacotherapy. In addition, we should be active in managing the misconceptions and improper practices in pharmacotherapy in order to improve patients' medication adherence.