| Insomnia is a condition that affects over a third of people in the United States at one point or another. While some experience insomnia symptoms for a short period of time, there are many who suffer from the effects of insomnia on a daily basis. To alleviate their symptoms, insomnia sufferers seek a variety of solutions, including pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments. Individuals suffering from insomnia often try a number of pharmacological treatments including supplements, over-the-counter drugs, and prescription medications in an attempt to curtail their symptoms. Treatment satisfaction is a patient's evaluation of the process of taking a medication and the outcomes associated with the medication. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a treatment satisfaction instrument for insomnia medication. Possible items were gleaned from literature review, a panel of clinicians, and focus groups. The items were administered to a sample of 298 participants who judged the importance of each of the statements with regard to treatment satisfaction. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to identify the dimensions that underlie treatments satisfaction and to refine the items to a valid and parsimonious instrument. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that five dimensions were present in the items: expectations, convenience, effectiveness, value, and a general dimension of treatment satisfaction. Confirmatory factor analysis substantiated the prior dimensions identified and demonstrated that our proposed model exhibited good fit to the data. Structural equation modeling allowed for an understanding of the relationships between the latent variables in the model and confirmed the multidimensional nature of treatment satisfaction. Findings from this study provide additional insight regarding patient perceptions of treatment satisfaction and other related therapeutic dimensions to help to optimize pharmacotherapy. |
