Improvements in health-related quality of life are maintained long-term in patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia: The QUEST Initiative 12-month follow-up observational study

Summary & key facts

This large Australian real-world study followed 2,353 adults who were newly prescribed medicinal cannabis oil and found that patient-reported quality of life, fatigue, sleep, pain (in people with chronic pain), and mood (in people with anxiety or depression) showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements that were maintained up to 12 months. The study used standard questionnaires and reports effect sizes for those improvements, but it was observational, used self-reported measures, and had falling participant numbers over time, so it does not prove cause and effect.

Key facts:

• 2744 people consented and completed baseline assessments; 2353 completed at least one follow-up and were included in the analyses.
• At 12 months, 778 of 2353 participants (38%) completed follow-up questionnaires, meaning study completion fell over time.
• Average age of participants was 50.4 years (SD 15.4), and 62.8% were female.
• Common conditions treated (number and percent of 2353): musculoskeletal pain 896 (38.1%), neuropathic pain 547 (23.2%), insomnia 546 (23.2%), anxiety 520 (22.1%), mixed depressive and anxiety disorder 263 (11.2%).
• Overall health-related quality of life improved with effect sizes reported as EQ-5D-5L index d = 0.52 and QLQ-C30 summary score d = 0.91; the authors described these as clinically meaningful.
• Fatigue and sleep disturbance improved with PROMIS fatigue d = 0.51 and PROMIS sleep disturbance d = 0.76; these improvements were reported as maintained to 12 months.
• Among participants with chronic pain, QLQ-C30 pain improved d = 0.50, PROMIS pain intensity improved d = 0.76, and PROMIS pain interference improved d = 0.76.
• For people with anxiety or depressive conditions, DASS anxiety improved d = 0.69 and DASS depression improved d = 0.65; all reported improvements were statistically significant.
• No improvements in motor function were observed for participants with movement disorders.
• The study was a multicentre prospective observational study (not a randomized trial), used patient-reported outcome measures, and the authors note limitations including the observational design, self-report data, attrition over 12 months, a

Abstract

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12621000063819.

Topics

Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Sleep and related disorders

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Anxiety Cannabis Depression (economics) Economics Internal medicine Macroeconomics Medicine Nursing Observational study Physical therapy Psychiatry Quality of life (healthcare)