Stagwell's (STGW) The Harris Poll Unveils First-of-its-kind Global Hemophilia Survey on the Daily Challenges for Patients, Caregivers, and Providers

Findings reveal people living with hemophilia secretly carry the emotional burdens of the disease and report mental health challenges including anxiety and depression.

Data also uncovers a troubling disconnect between the desire of those living with hemophilia to direct the course of their treatment, with lack of inclusion from their providers in that process.

NEW YORK, Oct. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Harris Poll, a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) agency, announced today the findings from a first-of-its-kind global hemophilia survey – 'Hemophilia Life Stages and Changes Global Survey' – sponsored by Sanofi. The findings deliver critical insights from patients, caregivers, and hematologists on challenges they face in their daily lives as they live or care for those with hemophilia across important life stages. The Harris Poll and Sanofi conducted the survey of more than 2,700 participants across four continents and 11 countries to gain a greater understanding of the current state of hemophilia care globally, the evolving needs of this community over their lifetime, and the areas that require improvement. 

"The robust scope and multiple, diverse perspectives included in this research enable us to paint a detailed picture of what it's like to live with and manage this debilitating life-long condition throughout key aspects, milestones, and life events," said Kathy Steinberg, Vice President of Media and Communications Research at The Harris Poll. "And that picture of life with hemophilia reveals unique challenges, impacts, and unmet needs that point to how patient care and outcomes could be improved for this population."

The findings show a significant communication gap between patients and their caregivers and providers about the array of physical and mental burdens of the disease. Over half of patients (51%) at least once a week hide their symptoms from others and as many as 68% avoid telling their friends for worry of being treated differently. The emotional weight of hemophilia is having a mental impact as well with 59% of patients feeling anxiety at least once a week and three quarters (75%) of hematologists reporting that their patients often feel depressed about their hemophilia.

The research also uncovered a troubling disconnect between patients' overwhelming desire to play a more active role in the course of their treatment (83%) and those who feel their providers adequately include them in the process. Only 35% of patients surveyed globally believed that their healthcare provider involved them in discussions regarding their treatment and considers their concerns when it comes to treatment while 84 percent wish for more treatment options.

GLOBAL AND GENERATIONAL DISTINCTIONS
The research also uncovered some surprising differences across countries regarding the ages at which hemophilia patients receive care, ease of emotional impact discussions, and sentiments related to hiding symptoms.

• In the United States, the vast majority of caregivers (91%) cared for their child, of which most (94%) were under the age of 18. Only one percent were caring for an adult child (age 25-34).
• In Japan, by stark contrast, only three percent of caregivers cared for a child – among whom 67% care for a child under the age of 18.
• In China, almost all (98%) healthcare providers wish it was easier to discuss the emotional impact of living with hemophilia with their patients, while in the United States that sentiment drops down to 78%.
• Attitudes in Europe are much different than in the U.S. about avoiding telling friends about the disease for worry of being treated differently. In Europe, 80% of German respondents and 74% of UK respondents feel the need to hide their disease while only 41% of American respondents express the same concern.

The results of the survey provide valuable insights for caregivers, patients living with hemophilia, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and patient organizations worldwide. The goal is for results to drive action and dialogue that ultimately leads to new, innovative solutions to improve care for people living with hemophilia.

"As a company deeply committed to the global hemophilia community, Sanofi wanted to listen to the voices of people from around the world who are impacted by this disease at various stages of their life, to better understand their needs," said Alaa Hamed, MD, MPH, MBA, Global Head of Medical Affairs, Rare Diseases and Rare Blood Disorders at Sanofi. "Our mission is to advance a model of care that provides the right support at the right time to serve this community so that people with hemophilia can focus less on living with this disease, and more on living the lives they choose."

Full survey details, including methodology, audience demographics, global survey results, and more:  https://bit.ly/3ZGeiJC

Methodology for Hemophilia Life Stages and Changes Global Survey
The research was conducted online in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, India, Canada, Australia, and China by The Harris Poll on behalf of Sanofi among 679 HCPs (health care providers whose primary medical specialty is hematology and see/treat 2+ patients with hemophilia per month), 950 patients (adults 18+ diagnosed with hemophilia), and 1,080 caregivers (adults 18+ who provide care or support to a friend or family member with hemophilia). The survey was conducted February 27 – April 10, 2023. 

Raw data were not weighted to adjust for geodemographics, except to provide each country equal share of voice, so thus are therefore only representative of the individuals who completed the survey. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in our surveys.

The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within + 4.7 percentage points for HCPs, + 3.3 percentage points for patients, and + 3.0 percentage points for caregivers using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed populations of interest.   

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to other multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including, but not limited to coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Responses may not add up to 100% due to weighting, computer rounding and/or the acceptance of multiple responses.

About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global consulting and market research firm that strives to reveal the authentic values of modern society to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. It works with clients in three primary areas: building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. One of the longest-running surveys in the U.S., The Harris Poll has tracked public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963, and is now part of Stagwell, the challenger holding company built to transform marketing.

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About Sanofi
We are an innovative global healthcare company, driven by one purpose: we chase the miracles of science to improve people's lives. Our team, across some 100 countries, is dedicated to transforming the practice of medicine by working to turn the impossible into the possible. We provide potentially life-changing treatment options and life-saving vaccine protection to millions of people globally, while putting sustainability and social responsibility at the center of our ambitions. Sanofi is listed on EURONEXT: SAN andNASDAQ: SNY. Learn more at www.sanofi.com.

About Hemophilia
Hemophilia is a rare, lifelong condition in which the ability of a person's blood to clot properly is impaired, leading to excessive bleeds and/or spontaneous bleeds into joints, muscles, and soft tissues that can result in joint damage, and chronic pain, and potentially impact quality of life. The severity of hemophilia is determined by the level of clotting factor activity in a person's blood, and there is a negative correlation between risk of bleeding and factor activity levels. Globally, over 1 million people are estimated to have hemophiliaⁱ, divided over the different types, and sustainable access to diagnosis and treatment remains a challenge for a large number of these patients.

CONTACT:
Sarah Arvizo
[email protected]

REFERENCES
ⁱ https://wfh.org

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.