Skip to main content
Log in

The association of consumer expectations, experiences and satisfaction with newly prescribed medications

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Quality of Life Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To examine the association between medication expectations and subsequent experience on treatment satisfaction and intention to continue using the medication.

Methods

A longitudinal study with two surveys administered to each patient. Patients prescribed a new medication were recruited in pharmacies within Michigan. Medication-related expectations were evaluated at baseline. Experiences, satisfaction and intent to continue were evaluated a month later. Analyses used included factorial ANOVA models, multiple linear regressions and structural equation modeling (SEM). Impact of satisfaction on intention to continue was evaluated using correlation analysis and SEM.

Results

A total of 344 usable responses were obtained. SEM showed that expectation scores were not associated with both experience (path coefficient = 0.10) and satisfaction (path coefficient = 0.02, NS). On the other hand, experience was strongly associated with satisfaction (path coefficient = 0.89) and satisfaction was strongly associated with intent to continue using the new medication (path coefficient = 0.81).

Conclusions

This study empirically supports the value of the patient’s experience and its contribution to satisfaction, which in turn is associated with intended continued use mainly due to greater effectiveness of the newly prescribed medication. Satisfied consumers should be more adherent, thus enhancing the probability of positive therapeutic outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Taylor, T. R. (2000). Understanding the choices that patients make, [Review] [52 refs]. Journal of the American Board of Family Practice, 13(2), 124–133.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Awad, A. G., & Voruganti, L. N. (1999). Quality of life and new antipsychotics in schizophrenia. Are patients better off? International Journal of Social Psychiatry, 45(4), 268–275.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Anderson, R. B., Hollenberg, N. K., & Williams, G. H. (1999). Physical symptoms distress index: A sensitive tool to evaluate the impact of pharmacological agents on quality of life. Archives of Internal Medicine, 159(7), 693–700.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Diamond, R. (1985). Drugs and the quality of life: The patient’s point of view. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 46(5 Pt 2), 29–35.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Atkinson, M. J., Sinha, A., Hass, S. L., et al. (2004). Validation of a general measure of treatment satisfaction—the treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication (TSQM) using a national panel study of chronic disease. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 2:12.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Katz, J. N. (2001). Patient preferences and health disparities, [comment]. JAMA, 286(12), 1506–1509.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Golin, C. E., DiMatteo, M. R., & Gelberg, L. (1996). The role of patient participation in the doctor visit. Implications for adherence to diabetes care, [Review] [134 refs]. Diabetes Care, 19(10), 1153–1164.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Atkinson, M. J., Kumar, R., Cappelleri, J. C., & Hass, S. L. (2005). Hierarchical construct validity of the treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication (TSQM version II) among outpatient pharmacy consumers. Value Health, 8 (Suppl 1), S9–S24.

  9. Acquadro, C., Berzon, R., Dubois, D., et al. (2003). Incorporating the patient’s perspective into drug development and communication: An ad hoc task force report of the patient-reported outcomes (PRO) harmonization group meeting at the food and drug administration, February 16, 2001. Value in Health, 6(5), 522–531.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Chatterton, M. L., Scott-Lennox, J., Wu, A. W., & Scott, J. (1999). Quality of life and treatment satisfaction after the addition of lamivudine or lamivudine plus loviride to zidovudine-containing regimens in treatment-experienced patients with HIV infection. Pharmacoeconomics, 15(Suppl 1), 67–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Greil, W., Ludwig-Mayerhofer, W., Erazo, N., et al. (1997). Lithium vs carbamazepine in the maintenance treatment of schizoaffective disorder: A randomised study. European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 247(1), 42–50.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Mathias, S. D., Warren, E. H., Colwell, H. H., & Sung, J. C. (2000). A new treatment satisfaction measure for asthmatics: A validation study. Quality of Life Research, 9(7), 873–882.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Ho, F. N., Mursch, J. D., Ong, B. S., & Perttula, B. (1997). Consumer satisfaction with OTC drugs: an analysis using the confirmation/disconfirmation model. Health Marketing Quarterly, 15(1), 103–117.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Baron-Epel, O., Dushenat, M., & Friedman, N. (2001). Evaluation of the consumer model: Relationship between patients’ expectations, perceptions and satisfaction with care. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, 13(4), 317–323.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–409.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Smith, N. A., Ley, P., Seale, J. P., & Shaw, J. (1987). Health beliefs, satisfaction and compliance. Patient Education & Counseling, 10(3), 279–286.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Harris, L. E., Luft, F. C., Rudy, D. W., & Tierney, W. M. (1995). Correlates of health care satisfaction in inner-city patients with hypertension and chronic renal insufficiency. Social Science & Medicine, 41(12), 1639–1645.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Olson, J. C., & Dover, P. A. (1979). Disconfirmation of consumer expectations through product trial. Journal of Applied Psychology, 64(2), 179–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ascher-Svanum, H., Rochford, S., Cisco, D., & Claveaux, A. (2001). Patient education about schizophrenia: Initial expectations and later satisfaction. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 22(3), 325–333.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Froehlich, G. W., & Welch, H. G. (1996). Meeting walk-in patients’ expectations for testing. Effects on satisfaction. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 11(8), 470–474.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Shore, B. E., & Franks, P. (1986). Physician satisfaction with patient encounters. Reliability and validity of an encounter-specific questionnaire. Medical Care, 24(7), 580–589.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Schmidt, S., Muhlan, H., & Power, M. (2006). The EUROHIS-QOL 8-item index: Psychometric results of a cross-cultural field study. Eur J Public Health, 16(4), 420–428.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Roe, C. M., McNamara, A. M., & Motheral, B. R. (2002). Gender- and age-related prescription drug use patterns. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 36(1), 30–39.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. State Health Facts Online: Health Coverage and the Uninsured. Kaiser Family Foundation.www.statehealthfacts.org. Retrieved October 2004. Internet Communication.

  25. Gerth, W. C., McCarroll, K. A., Santanello, N. C., Vandormael, K., Zhang, Q., & Mannix, L. K. (2001). Patient satisfaction with rizatriptan versus other triptans: Direct head-to-head comparisons. International Journal of Clinical Practice, 55(8), 552–556.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Greil, W., Ludwig-Mayerhofer, W., Erazo, N., Engel, R. R., Czernik, A., Giedke, H., Muller-Oerlinghausen, B., Osterheider, M., Rudolf, G. A., Sauer, H., Tegeler, J., & Wetterling, T. (1997). Lithium vs carbamazepine in the maintenance treatment of schizoaffective disorder: A randomised study. European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, 247(1), 42–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Bech, P., Moses, R., & Gomis, R. (2003). The effect of prandial glucose regulation with repaglinide on treatment satisfaction, wellbeing and health status in patients with pharmacotherapy naive type 2 diabetes: a placebo-controlled, multicentre study. Quality of Life Research, 12(4), 413–425.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Andersen, R., & Aday, L. A. (1978). Access to medical care in the US: Realized and potential. Medical Care, 16(7), 533–546.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

The authors wish to thank the participating pharmacists who recruited patients into the study: Frank Ackley, Roberta Armstrong, Jim Baxter, John Kaser, Frank Pawlicki, Michael Sanborn, Andrew Schandoyan, Mark Young, and Steve Zawisza. This research was supported by a grant from Pharmacia, Inc (now Pfizer).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ritesh N. Kumar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kumar, R.N., Kirking, D.M., Hass, S.L. et al. The association of consumer expectations, experiences and satisfaction with newly prescribed medications. Qual Life Res 16, 1127–1136 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9222-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11136-007-9222-4

Keywords

Navigation