Study Highlights Role of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Botulinum Toxin Development
A patient-centric clinical approach, driven by the evolution of patient-reported outcomes (PROs), has been central to the development of onabotulinumtoxinA for aesthetic indications, according to new research in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology.
Researchers concluded there is increasing awareness that treating the upper facial lines with Botulinum Neurotoxin Type A (BoNTA) may confer significant emotional and psychosocial benefits. These include improved overall facial appearance, enhanced confidence, self-esteem, feelings of attractiveness, and age appearance. This could be linked to the younger aesthetic patients, who researchers say are increasingly thinking beyond physical beauty and toward psychological “wellness.”
“PROs are important for assessing the outcomes that ultimately matter most, thereby facilitating physician-patient communication around the potential benefits and informing individualized treatment decision-making,” researchers stated.
The study focused on 102 published papers with eligibility including:
- A prospective study using PRO instruments(s) to directly evaluate BoNTA outcomes (eg, satisfaction, goal attainment, naturalness, confidence, emotional impact, other psychological/psychosocial benefits) in aesthetic treatment of adults with glabellar lines (GL), lateral canthal lines (LCL), and/or forehead lines (FHL).
- Treatment with one or more of the following: onabotulinumtoxinA, abobotulinumtoxinA, incobotulinumtoxinA, daxibotulinumtoxinA, prabotulinumtoxinA, or letibotulinumtoxinA.
Studies were excluded if they assessed subject-reported wrinkle severity appearance.
The findings underscore an increasing appreciation for the patient perspective, supporting more comprehensive treatment assessments. This is “particularly important in aesthetic medicine, where the patient is the fundamental ‘decision maker.’”