Evaluation of Physician Knowledge of Safety and Safe Use Information for Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in Europe: A Second Survey of Physicians Following Dissemination of Updated Risk-Minimization Materials.

Abstract

Background: Materials have been distributed in the European Union to inform physicians on the safe use of intravitreal aflibercept (IVT-AFL) as part of the risk-minimization plan for IVT-AFL.

Objective: We aimed to measure physician knowledge and understanding of key safety information for IVT-AFL.

Methods: The current study was a follow-up cross-sectional survey ('wave 2') to an earlier survey ('wave 1') examining the effectiveness of the IVT-AFL educational materials by assessing physician knowledge of the key safety information. Based on wave 1 results, the educational materials were revised to focus more on items of key concern (e.g., use in women of childbearing potential, procedural information); physicians in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK completed a questionnaire to evaluate their knowledge of key safety information in the revised educational materials.

Results: Among 454 physician respondents (of 4715 invited; response rate 9.6%), most reported having received the IVT-AFL Summary of Product Characteristics (SmPC; 89%) and Prescriber Guide (82%). More than half reported receiving the Injection Procedure Video (54%) and Patient Booklet (65%). The highest percentage of correct answers was observed for questions concerning procedural steps, the most important risks, and safe use as emphasized by the educational materials and the SmPC.

Conclusion: Physician knowledge and understanding of safe use of IVT-AFL, including for questions that prompted revisions to the educational materials, suggests the need to reconsider methods for developing educational materials to follow best practices (e.g., focusing on only key messages and pretesting with end users).