Prevalence of Decisional Regret and Associated Risk Factors in Patients With Hepatitis B Undergoing Pegylated Interferon Alpha Therapy.
Lin Yufen Y, Xiong Huan H, Yi Shuanglian S, Xie Shanshan S
Pegylated interferon alpha has been shown to enhance the likelihood of achieving a functional cure in patients with hepatitis B. However, it was associated with a greater number of contraindications and adverse reactions compared with nucleotide analogs. Current research has placed comparatively less emphasis on the potential for this treatment to induce decision regret among patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of decision regret in hepatitis B patients undergoing interferon therapy and to explore its influencing factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a comprehensive hospital in Xiamen, Fujian Province, China, from February 20 to June 13, 2024. The study recruited hepatitis B patients undergoing treatment with pegylated interferon alpha. The survey encompassed general information, the All Aspects of Health Literacy Scale, the Perceived Social Support Scale, the Control Preferences Scale, the Decisional Conflict Scale, and the Decision Regret Scale. A total of 130 questionnaires were analyzed. Only 13.85% of patients had no regrets at all about the decision, 34.60% experienced mild regret, and the proportion of patients with moderate to severe regrets reached 51.50%. Mild impact on life, active decision-making roles, passive decision-making roles, and decision conflict were the influencing factors of decisional regret in hepatitis B patients on pegylated interferon alpha therapy, which together explained 29.6% of the total variation. Hepatitis B patients undergoing pegylated interferon alpha therapy had a high percentage of decisional regret. Healthcare professionals should pay close attention to this phenomenon. In the future, they can investigate additional potential influencing factors and promptly develop intervention strategies to effectively reduce decision regret.