Physicians' and patients' expectations of therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension: where do they meet?

In recent years, many new, effective therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have become available and are widely used, yet the long-term prognosis for patients with PAH remains poor. In the absence of a cure, physicians' expectations of PAH-specific therapies are to: 1) improve patients' symptoms and functional capacity; 2) slow disease progression; and 3) improve survival. However, patients with PAH may prioritise other more tangible needs, such as improvements in their ability to carry out their daily tasks and increase their quality of life. Patients with PAH have also called out for social and emotional support from their physicians, caregivers, families and patient associations. Therefore, it is necessary that clinical trials of PAH-specific treatments include end-points that are meaningful to both patients and physicians, and that a multidisciplinary approach to the management of patients with PAH takes into consideration the broader aspects of patients' and caregivers' needs and wishes beyond simple physiological measurements. ©ERS 2014.