Patient and Physician Perspectives in the Management of Immune Thrombocytopenia in Iran: Responses from the ITP World Impact Survey (I-WISh)

Abstract

Data describing physicians’ and patients’ perspectives towards immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) management and impact of disease in Iran are limited. This ITP World Impact Survey was conducted between October 2019 and October 2020. Of the 114 patients included in the survey, 17 were aged ≤18 years. Forty-seven physicians, including 22 pediatric hematologists, participated in the survey. Fatigue and anxiety around stable platelet counts were frequent patient-reported symptoms at diagnosis and at survey completion. According to physicians, “watch-and-wait” was the preferred treatment option for mean (standard deviation) proportion of 50.1 (24.1) and 48.6 (21.8) of their adult and pediatric patients, respectively, following first diagnosis. Per adult and pediatric hematologists, the most prescribed treatments for newly diagnosed patients based on available answers were steroids (100%, n = 20/20; 89%, n = 16/18), respectively. Forty percent of adult (n = 10/25) and 38% of pediatric hematologists (n = 8/21) reported that ITP reduced patients’ quality of life. Energy levels (46%, n = 52/112) and ability to concentrate on everyday activities (42%, n = 47/113) were the most affected aspects of patients' lives. This I-WISh study in Iran underlined the negative impact of ITP on patients.