Do treatments for mental disorders affect relationship satisfaction? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective: Psychiatric disorders have been linked to poor social functioning, including deficits in relationship satisfaction. Treatments have shown strong effectiveness in reducing clinical symptoms for a range of disorders, though less is known of the effects disorder-focused treatments have on relationship satisfaction.

Methods: The present study describes a systematic review that was conducted to determine the efficacy of treatments for specific psychiatric disorders in improving relationship satisfaction. Surprisingly, only seventeen studies were identified and included in the review.

Results: We found that a majority of these studies reported modest improvement in relationship satisfaction among people who completed treatment. However, studies were severely hampered by methodological limitations, and all therapy-related improvements could be attributable to placebo effects or the passage of time.

Conclusion: Important gaps in the literature were found that future research should seek to address to maximize treatment outcomes and psychosocial functioning.

Evaluating reduction in medical costs associated with pharmacists' presence in the emergency department using a novel cost avoidance framework

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the cost avoidance associated with emergency medicine pharmacist (EMP) presence in the emergency department (ED) using a novel cost avoidance framework.

SUMMARY

This single-center, retrospective, observational study examined EMP interventions from November 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. EMPs prospectively selected up to 10 shifts in which to log interventions during the study period. Interventions were categorized into 25 cost avoidance categories, 10 of which incorporated recently proposed probability variables. All categories were organized into 4 broad cost avoidance domains, including resource utilization, individualization of patient care, adverse drug event prevention, and hands-on care. During the study period, 894 interventions were logged, which accounted for $143,132 in cost avoidance (lower probability value of $124,186, upper probability value of $168,858), with a median cost avoidance per shift of $1,671 (interquartile range, $1,025 to $2,451). On the basis of 240 shifts, the estimated annual total cost avoidance per pharmacist was extrapolated to be $401,040.

CONCLUSION

While the mean cost avoidance of $161.10 per intervention observed in our study was less than that in prior cost avoidance studies due to the conservative and potentially more realistic estimates used, implementation of this cost avoidance framework still showed substantial cost avoidance associated with EMP presence in the ED.

Patients' Experiences Using a Mobile Health App for Self-Care of Heart Failure in a Real-World Setting: Qualitative Analysis

BACKGROUND

Publicly available patient-focused mobile health (mHealth) apps are being increasingly integrated into routine heart failure (HF)-related self-care. However, there is a dearth of research on patients' experiences using mHealth apps for self-care in real-world settings.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore patients' experiences using a commercially available mHealth app, OnTrack to Health, for HF self-care in a real-world setting.

METHODS

Patient satisfaction, measured with a 5-point Likert scale, and an open-ended survey were used to gather data from 23 patients with HF who were provided the OnTrack to Health app as a part of routine HF management. A content analysis of patients' responses was conducted with the qualitative software Atlas.ti (version 8; ATLAS.ti Scientific Software Development GmbH).

RESULTS

Patients (median age 64, IQR 57-71 years; 17/23, 74% male) used OnTrack to Health for a median 164 (IQR 51-640) days before the survey. All patients reported excellent experiences related to app use and would recommend the app to other patients with HF. Five themes emerged from the responses to the open-ended questions: (1) features that enhanced self-care of HF (medication tracker, graphic performance feedback and automated alerts, secured messaging features, and HF self-care education); (2) perceived benefits (provided assurance of safety, improved HF self-care, and decreased hospitalization rates); (3) challenges with using apps for self-care (giving up previous self-care strategies); (4) facilitators (perceived ease of use and availability of technical support); and (5) suggested improvements (streamlining data entry, integration of apps with an electronic medical record, and personalization of app features).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients were satisfied with using OnTrack to Health for self-care. They perceived the features of the app as valuable tools for improving self-care ability and decreasing hospitalization rates. The development of apps in collaboration with end users is essential to ensure high-quality patient experiences related to app use for self-care.

Using Continuous Passive Assessment Technology to Describe Health and Behavior Patterns Preceding and Following a Cancer Diagnosis in Older Adults: Proof-of-Concept Case Series Study

BACKGROUND

Describing changes in health and behavior that precede and follow a sentinel health event, such as a cancer diagnosis, is challenging because of the lack of longitudinal, objective measurements that are collected frequently enough to capture varying trajectories of change leading up to and following the event. A continuous passive assessment system that continuously monitors older adults' physical activity, weight, medication-taking behavior, pain, health events, and mood could enable the identification of more specific health and behavior patterns leading up to a cancer diagnosis and whether and how patterns change thereafter.

OBJECTIVE

In this study, we conducted a proof-of-concept retrospective analysis, in which we identified new cancer diagnoses in older adults and compared trajectories of change in health and behaviors before and after cancer diagnosis.

METHODS

Participants were 10 older adults (mean age 71.8, SD 4.9 years; 3/10, 30% female) with various self-reported cancer types from a larger prospective cohort study of older adults. A technology-agnostic assessment platform using multiple devices provided continuous data on daily physical activity via wearable sensors (actigraphy); weight via a Wi-Fi-enabled digital scale; daily medication-taking behavior using electronic Bluetooth-enabled pillboxes; and weekly pain, health events, and mood with online, self-report surveys.

RESULTS

Longitudinal linear mixed-effects models revealed significant differences in the pre- and postcancer trajectories of step counts (P<.001), step count variability (P=.004), weight (P<.001), pain severity (P<.001), hospitalization or emergency room visits (P=.03), days away from home overnight (P=.01), and the number of pillbox door openings (P<.001). Over the year preceding a cancer diagnosis, there were gradual reductions in step counts and weight and gradual increases in pain severity, step count variability, hospitalization or emergency room visits, and days away from home overnight compared with 1 year after the cancer diagnosis. Across the year after the cancer diagnosis, there was a gradual increase in the number of pillbox door openings compared with 1 year before the cancer diagnosis. There was no significant trajectory change from the pre- to post-cancer diagnosis period in terms of low mood (P=.60) and loneliness (P=.22).

CONCLUSIONS

A home-based, technology-agnostic, and multidomain assessment platform could provide a unique approach to monitoring different types of behavior and health markers in parallel before and after a life-changing health event. Continuous passive monitoring that is ecologically valid, less prone to bias, and limits participant burden could greatly enhance research that aims to improve early detection efforts, clinical care, and outcomes for people with cancer.

Implementing Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy for Heart Failure: JACC Focus Seminar 1/3

Despite the availability of lifesaving guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), there remain major gaps in utilization of these therapies among eligible patients. Simultaneous with these gaps in quality of care, HFrEF continues as a leading cause of death and hospitalization with associated clinical risk far exceeding most other cardiovascular and noncardiovascular conditions. In the context of this urgent need to improve provision of appropriate therapy, multiple lines of evidence support various implementation strategies. Such strategies include in-hospital initiation of GDMT, simultaneous or rapid sequence initiation of GDMT, participation in quality improvement registries to assess site performance and provide feedback, multidisciplinary titration clinics, virtual consult teams, reduction of cost-sharing, remote algorithm-based medication optimization, electronic health record-based interventions, and direct-to-patient educational initiatives. This review describes and contextualizes the evidence surrounding each of these potential avenues for improving use of foundational GDMTs for patients with HFrEF.

Maternal infections and medications in pregnancy: how does self-report compare to medical records in childhood cancer case-control studies?

BACKGROUND

Studies examining the potential impact of mothers' health during pregnancy on the health of their offspring often rely on self-reported information gathered several years later. To assess the validity of this approach, we analysed data from a national case-control study of childhood cancer (diagnosed <15 years) that collected health information from both interviews and medical records.

METHODS

Mothers' interview reports of infections and medications in pregnancy were compared with primary care records. Taking clinical diagnoses and prescriptions as the reference, sensitivity and specificity of maternal recall along with kappa coefficients of agreement were calculated. Differences in the odd ratios estimated using logistic regression for each information source were assessed using the proportional change in the odds ratio (OR).

RESULTS

Mothers of 1624 cases and 2524 controls were interviewed ∼6 years (range 0-18 years) after their child's birth. Most drugs and infections were underreported; in general practitioner records, antibiotic prescriptions were nearly three times higher and infections >40% higher. Decreasing with increasing time since pregnancy, sensitivity was ⩽40% for most infections and all drugs except 'anti-epileptics and barbiturates' (sensitivity 80% among controls). ORs associated with individual drug/disease categories that were based on self-reported data varied from 26% lower to 26% higher than those based on medical records; reporting differences between mothers of cases and controls were not systematically in the same direction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings highlight the scale of under-reporting and poor validity of questionnaire-based studies conducted several years after pregnancy. Future research using prospectively collected data should be encouraged to minimize measurement errors.

Management of cluster headache: Treatments and their mechanisms

BACKGROUND

The management of cluster headache is similar to that of other primary headache disorders and can be broadly divided into acute and preventive treatments. Acute treatments for cluster headache are primarily delivered via rapid, non-oral routes (such as inhalation, nasal, or subcutaneous) while preventives include a variety of unrelated treatments such as corticosteroids, verapamil, and galcanezumab. Neuromodulation is becoming an increasingly popular option, both non-invasively such as vagus nerve stimulation when medical treatment is contraindicated or side effects are intolerable, and invasively such as occipital nerve stimulation when medical treatment is ineffective. Clinically, this collection of treatment types provides a range of options for the informed clinician. Scientifically, this collection provides important insights into disease mechanisms.

METHODS

Two authors performed independent narrative reviews of the literature on guideline recommendations, clinical trials, real-world data, and mechanistic studies.

RESULTS

Cluster headache is treated with acute treatments, bridge treatments, and preventive treatments. Common first-line treatments include subcutaneous sumatriptan and high-flow oxygen as acute treatments, corticosteroids (oral or suboccipital injections) as bridge treatments, and verapamil as a preventive treatment. Some newer acute (non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation) and preventive (galcanezumab) treatments have excellent clinical trial data for episodic cluster headache, while other newer treatments (occipital nerve stimulation) have been specifically tested in treatment-refractory chronic cluster headache. Most treatments are suspected to act on the trigeminovascular system, the autonomic system, or the hypothalamus.

CONCLUSIONS

The first-line treatments have not changed in recent years, but new treatments have provided additional options for patients.

Improving Utilization of the Chemotherapy Unit through Implementing the Medication Early Release Project

Introduction

The outpatient oncology infusion unit is very busy, serving 60 to 70 patients per day. Due to a limited number of nurses, treatment chairs, only one pharmacy hood for bio-hazardous drug preparation, and other factors, patients wait a long time before starting their treatment, which affects the patient experience negatively. We conducted a quality improvement project to reduce the waiting time before starting the treatment, improve the patients' experience, and allow the unit to work more effectively through better resource utilization and accommodating more patients.

Methods

A committee was formed with representatives from oncology nursing and the quality specialist, chemotherapy pharmacy supervisor, data manager, and a medical consultant (team leader). We studied baseline data of patient waiting times from January to March 2019 and the factors that contributed to delays before starting the treatment. The charge nurse identified patients who could safely have their medication released early in the morning at 7 am, enabling the pharmacy to dispense at 8 am without their actual presence being required in the infusion suite (i.e., medication early release program or MERP). Multiple plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles were implemented to achieve a wait time from check-in to medication administration of less than 60 minutes. Data collected included check-in time, chair time, vital signs time, administration time, and discharge time. Additionally, reasons for drug wastage were assessed for patients who did not receive the prepared medication. A patient satisfaction survey was conducted with the patients before and after being enrolled in the program.

Results

At baseline, average waiting time for patients receiving similar medications in the MERP was 2 hours and 27 minutes. After the first intervention, average waiting time was reduced to 1 hour and 24 minutes, and small improvements were observed after each PDSA cycl. A major breakthrough occurred after an intensive patient education program and enforcement of strict compliance with the criteria in selecting the patients appropriate for theMERP. Average waiting time wasreduced to ≤ 60 minutes, and in November 2022, it was 30 minutes on average. Drug wastage was identified as a balancing measure. We were successful in reducing drug wastage by implementing several changes and patient education measures and achieved zero wastage. The patient satisfaction survey showed better satisfaction with the new changes.

Conclusion

A positive impact was achieved in this quality improvement project, with a significant reduction in the average waiting time for patients to start receiving chemotherapy. The outcome of this project has been maintained for 4 years and is still ongoing.

eHealth Technologies for Monitoring Pediatric Asthma at Home: Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

eHealth monitoring technologies offer opportunities to more objectively assess symptoms when they appear in daily life. Asthma is the most common chronic disease in childhood with an episodic course, requiring close follow-up of pediatric asthma control to identify disease deterioration, prevent exacerbations, and enhance quality of life. eHealth technologies in pediatric asthma care show promising results regarding feasibility, acceptability, and asthma-related health outcomes. However, broad systematic evaluations of eHealth technologies in pediatric asthma are lacking.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review was to identify the types and applications of eHealth technologies for monitoring and treatment in pediatric asthma and explore which monitoring domains show the most relevance or potential for future research.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. A systematic and comprehensive search was performed on English papers that investigated the development, validation, or application of eHealth technologies for home monitoring or treatment of pediatric asthma in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, IEEE, Scopus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ACM Digital Library. Two authors independently assessed eligibility and extracted data. Data were presented by a descriptive analysis of characteristics and a narrative report for each eHealth domain.

RESULTS

The review included 370 manuscripts. The following 10 monitoring domains were identified: air quality, airway inflammation markers, lung function, physical activity, sleep, audiovisual, other physiological measurements, questionnaires, medication monitoring, and digital environment (ie, digital platforms, applications, websites, and software tools to monitor or support monitoring). Rising numbers of studies were seen, and the numbers accelerated in the last few years throughout most domains, especially medication monitoring and digital environment. Limited studies (35/370, 9.5%) of multiparameter monitoring strategies, using three or more domains, were found. The number of monitoring validation studies remained stable, while development and intervention studies increased. Intervention outcomes seemed to indicate the noninferiority and potential superiority of eHealth monitoring in pediatric asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic scoping review provides a unique overview of eHealth pediatric asthma monitoring studies, and it revealed that eHealth research takes place throughout different monitoring domains using different approaches. The outcomes of the review showed the potency for efficacy of most monitoring domains (especially the domains of medication monitoring, lung function, and digital environment). Future studies could focus on modifying potentially relevant hospital-based diagnostics for the home setting to investigate potential beneficial effects and focus on combining home-monitoring domains to facilitate multiparameter decision-making and personalized clinical decision support.

An Ontology-Based Approach to Improving Medication Appropriateness in Older Patients: Algorithm Development and Validation Study

Background: Inappropriate medication in older patients with multimorbidity results in a greater risk of adverse drug events. Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are intended to improve medication appropriateness. One approach to improving CDSSs is to use ontologies instead of relational databases. Previously, we developed OntoPharma-an ontology-based CDSS for reducing medication prescribing errors. Objective: The primary aim was to model a domain for improving medication appropriateness in older patients (chronic patient domain). The secondary aim was to implement the version of OntoPharma containing the chronic patient domain in a hospital setting. Methods: A 4-step process was proposed. The first step was defining the domain scope. The chronic patient domain focused on improving medication appropriateness in older patients. A group of experts selected the following three use cases: medication regimen complexity, anticholinergic and sedative drug burden, and the presence of triggers for identifying possible adverse events. The second step was domain model representation. The implementation was conducted by medical informatics specialists and clinical pharmacists using Protégé-OWL (Stanford Center for Biomedical Informatics Research). The third step was OntoPharma-driven alert module adaptation. We reused the existing framework based on SPARQL to query ontologies. The fourth step was implementing the version of OntoPharma containing the chronic patient domain in a hospital setting. Alerts generated from July to September 2022 were analyzed. Results: We proposed 6 new classes and 5 new properties, introducing the necessary changes in the ontologies previously created. An alert is shown if the Medication Regimen Complexity Index is ≥40, if the Drug Burden Index is ≥1, or if there is a trigger based on an abnormal laboratory value. A total of 364 alerts were generated for 107 patients; 154 (42.3%) alerts were accepted. Conclusions: We proposed an ontology-based approach to provide support for improving medication appropriateness in older patients with multimorbidity in a scalable, sustainable, and reusable way. The chronic patient domain was built based on our previous research, reusing the existing framework. OntoPharma has been implemented in clinical practice and generates alerts, considering the following use cases: medication regimen complexity, anticholinergic and sedative drug burden, and the presence of triggers for identifying possible adverse events.

Uncovering the Burden of Rhinitis in Patients Purchasing Nonprescription Short-Acting β-Agonist (SABA) in the Community

Asthma and rhinitis are common comorbidities that amplify the burden of each disease. They are both characterized by poor symptom control, low adherence to clinical management guidelines, and high levels of patient self-management. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the prevalence of self-reported rhinitis symptoms in people with asthma purchasing Short-Acting Beta Agonist (SABA) reliever medication from a community pharmacy and compare the medication-related behavioral characteristics among those who self-report rhinitis symptoms and those who do not. Data were analyzed from 333 people with asthma who visited one of eighteen community pharmacies in New South Wales from 2017-2018 to purchase SABA and completed a self-administered questionnaire. Participants who reported rhinitis symptoms (71%), compared to those who did not, were significantly more likely to have coexisting gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), overuse SABA, and experience side effects. They may have been prescribed daily preventer medication but forget to take it, and worry about its side effects. They were also more likely to experience moderate-to-severe rhinitis (74.0%), inaccurately perceive their asthma as well-controlled (50.0% self-determined vs. 14.8% clinical-guideline defined), and unlikely to use rhinitis medications (26.2%) or daily preventer medication (26.7%). These findings enhance our understanding of this cohort and allow us to identify interventions to improve patient outcomes.

Older Adults' Use of and Interest in Technology and Applications for Health Management: A Survey Study

Background

Older adults face challenges with managing their medications, obtaining health education, and accessing health services. Mobile health (mHealth), defined as any medical or public health practice facilitated through mobile devices, could help to overcome these difficulties.

Objectives

To determine what technologies and apps are in current use by older adults, to explore the types of technologies and apps that may be of interest to people in this age group, to explore concerns about technologies, and to examine any age-related differences.

Methods

Adults 60 years of age or older were invited to complete a 35-item electronic survey, in either French or English, which was distributed through social media and by email from organizations working with older adults. The survey was conducted in mid-2020.

Results

A total of 266 respondents completed some or all of the survey. Most participants had a mobile phone (229/243, 94.2%), and approximately one-third (78/222, 35.1%) had used a health-related app in the previous 12 months; this level of usage was consistent across age groups. Most respondents were interested in using an app to improve their health (171/225, 76.0%), with variation by age: highest among those 60-64 years of age (82/95, 86.3%), lower among those 80 years or older (40/52, 76.9%), and lowest among those 65-69 years of age (6/14, 42.9%). Most older adults were interested in using an app to ask questions of pharmacists (161/219, 73.5%) and to review their medications (154/218, 70.6%). Participants' mHealth concerns focused on costs, disclosure of personal information, effectiveness, usability, and endorsement by health care providers. The study limitations included challenges related to electronic recruitment and survey distribution, as well as a high representation of participants with postsecondary education.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that a substantial proportion of older adults are already using and are interested in using mHealth for health information, to ask questions, and/or to review their medications with a health care team member.

The Oral Lesion in the COVID-19 Patient: Is It True Oral Manifestation or Not?

Objective

Many previously reported publications mentioned that oral lesion in COVID-19 patients was varied. The term oral manifestations refer to pathognomonic features that are found consistently with a specific cause and effect. In this context, the oral manifestation of COVID-19 was inconclusive. This systematic review aimed to analyse previously reported publications related to oral lesions in COVID-19 patients to define as oral manifestations or not. The PRISMA guidelines were implemented in this review.

Methods

All umbrella reviews, systematic reviews, systematic reviews and meta-analyses, comprehensive reviews, and original and non-original studies were included. Twenty-one of systematic review, 32 original studies and 68 non-original studies reported the oral lesion in COVID-19 patients.

Results

Most of the publications mentioned that ulcers, macular, pseudomembranes and crusts were frequent oral lesions. The reported oral lesions in COVID-19 patients did not show any pathognomonic features and might be unrelated directly to COVID-19 infections, however, more likely due to gender, age, underlying diseases, and medication.

Conclusion

The oral lesions found in previous studies do not have pathognomonic features and are inconsistent. Therefore, the reported oral lesion, in present time, cannot be defined as an oral manifestation.

Toward the Design of Sensing-Based Medication Adherence Aids That Support Individualized Activities of Daily Living: Survey and Interviews With Patients and Providers

BACKGROUND

Nearly half of Americans taking prescription medications do not take them properly. The resulting implications have a broad impact. Nonadhering patients develop worsened medical conditions and increased comorbidity of disease or die.

OBJECTIVE

Clinical studies have shown that the most effective strategies for addressing adherence are those that are individualized to the context that each patient and situation require. However, existing aids for adherence are relatively ridged and poorly support adaptation to individual behaviors and lifestyles. The aim of our study was to better understand this design tension.

METHODS

A series of 3 qualitative studies was conducted: a web-based survey of 200 Americans that investigated existing adherence strategies and behaviors and perception of how hypothetical in-home tracking technologies would assist adherence; in-person semistructured interviews with 20 medication takers from Pittsburgh, PA, that investigated personal adherence behaviors, which included demonstration of medication locations and routines as well as an assessment of hypothetical technologies; and semistructured interviews with 6 pharmacists and 3 family physicians to gain a provider perspective on patient adherence strategies, which included feedback on hypothetical technologies in the context of their patient populations. Inductive thematic coding of all interview data was performed. Studies were conducted consecutively, with the results informing the subsequent studies.

RESULTS

Synthesized, the studies identified key medication adherence behaviors amenable to technological interventions, distilled important home-sensing literacy considerations, and detailed critical privacy considerations. Specifically, 4 key insights were obtained: medication routines are heavily influenced and adapted by and through the physical location and placement of medications relative to activities of daily living, routines are chosen to be inconspicuous to maintain privacy, the value of provider-involved routines is motivated by a desire to build trust in shared decision-making, and the introduction of new technologies can create further burden on patients and providers.

CONCLUSIONS

There is considerable potential to improve individual medication adherence by creating behavior-focused interventions that leverage emerging artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and in-home Internet of Things (IoT) sensing technologies. However, success will be dependent on the technology's ability to learn effectively and accurately from individual behaviors, needs, and routines and tailor interventions accordingly. Patient routines and attitudes toward adherence will likely affect the use of proactive (eg, AI-assistant routine modification) versus reactive (eg, notification of associated behaviors with missed dosages) intervention strategies. Successful technological interventions must support the detection and tracking of patient routines that can adjust to variations in patient location, schedule, independence, and habituation.

Impact of Medication Adherence on Bone Mineral Density and Fracture Risk in Patients With Osteoporosis: A Systematic Review

Osteoporosis is a chronic, prevalent disease marked by decreased bone mass and changes in bone anatomy associated with significant morbidity. The management of osteoporosis necessitates long-term therapy for which patient adherence is of vital importance. In the present review, we aim to collect all potential evidence from relevant studies that reported the impact of medication adherence on bone mineral density and fracture risk in patients with osteoporosis. We have conducted both electronic and manual search strategies within the potential databases and included articles and reviews to find relevant studies. We have assessed the effects of osteoporotic medication adherence on fracture rates and bone mineral density. The study participants were divided into two groups, adherent and non-adherent. Studies from the year 2010-2023 were included. Final inclusion consisted of 14 studies that showed variation in adherence rates with only three studies reporting optimal adherence followed by two studies with nearly half adherent population while the rest of the studies reported low medication adherence. The highest adherence rate reported was 82% while the lowest was 8%. Among the included studies the fracture rates varied significantly. Decreased rates of fracture were observed in the adherent population however two of the included studies were contrary to these findings. Additionally, only three studies discussed the effect of adherence on bone mineral density. Lack of medication adherence is linked to an increased risk of fracture, and low bone mineral density, further associated with more severe complications as per the evidence from the literature. However, variation in the fracture rates as observed in our findings advocates the need for further research for the generalizability of results.

Drug Reaction With Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms (DRESS) Syndrome Caused by Apalutamide: A Case Presentation

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a severe drug reaction that is triggered several weeks after the start of a new medication. This syndrome presents with a variety of clinical symptoms, specifically a manifestation involving a fever followed by a severe rash. A variety of medications are known to trigger DRESS, with the most common being anticonvulsants and allopurinol. Here, we discuss the case of a medication, apalutamide, that caused DRESS in our patient. Early recognition and abrupt discontinuation of the medication is required for the management of this syndrome and to minimize morbidity and mortality.

Economic burden of comorbid insomnia in 5 common medical disease subgroups

STUDY OBJECTIVES

Approximately 85% of insomnia co-occurs with other disorders. Whereas insomnia was once considered "secondary" to these disorders, it is now widely recognized as an independent condition warranting treatment. While it is clear that insomnia can affect the course of other medical conditions, there is scant literature on the economic impact of comorbid insomnia among patients with common medical conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the economic burden of comorbid insomnia in 5 medical diseases commonly associated with insomnia: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cancer undergoing treatment, menopause undergoing hormone replacement therapy, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used claims data from the IBM MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental Databases from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2019. Insomnia and comorbid disease groups were defined using physician-assigned International Classification of Diseases diagnostic codes. Insomnia medication treatment was defined based on ≥1 prescription fills for the most commonly prescribed insomnia medications (zolpidem, low-dose trazodone, and benzodiazepines [as a class]). For each comorbid disease subgroup, 4 cohorts were created: (1) patients with either treated or untreated insomnia, (2) non-sleep-disordered controls, (3) patients with untreated insomnia, and (4) patients with treated insomnia.

RESULTS

Sample sizes for individuals with comorbid insomnia ranged from 23,168 (T2DM) to 3,015 (ADRDs). Within each disease subgroup and relative to non-sleep-disordered controls, patients with comorbid insomnia demonstrated greater adjusted health care resource utilization and costs across most points of service. Likewise, relative to individuals with untreated insomnia, those with treated insomnia generally demonstrated greater adjusted health care resource utilization and costs.

CONCLUSIONS

In this national analysis, both untreated comorbid insomnia and comorbid insomnia treated with commonly prescribed insomnia medications were associated with increased health care resource utilization and costs across most points of service.

CITATION

Wickwire EM, Juday TR, Kelkar M, Heo J, Margiotta C, Frech FH. Economic burden of comorbid insomnia in 5 common medical disease subgroups. J Clin Sleep Med. 2023;19(7):1293-1302.

Need for implementation of safe medication practice to avoid medication errors - A journey through case series

Patient safety is seriously threatened by medication errors. Pharmacological therapy aims to accomplish particular therapeutic objectives that improve patient quality of life while reducing patient risk. To develop a clear plan for minimizing medication errors and establishing safe and effective medication practices, the study's major goal is to identify the key locations at which medication errors usually occur. The five scenarios presented here demonstrate the frequent errors that took place, including communication problems, technical errors, rule-based errors, and knowledge-based errors. Patients' quality of life must be improved by educating both patients and healthcare workers on safe medication practices. This involves monitoring for and recognizing errors, reporting them in a blame-free environment, analyzing their root causes, changing procedures on the lessons learned, and ongoing monitoring.

The role of pharmaceutical side-effects in depression among immigrants

OBJECTIVES

This study explores the role of pharmaceuticals with depression or suicidality as a side-effect in explaining the immigrant depression paradox. Immigrants generally report less depression than their native-born peers, despite the socio environments that are less conducive to well-being. This immigrant advantage in mental health tends to recede with time in the US and more acculturation. To date, an explanation for this pattern has remained elusive, partly because acculturation is also associated with many desirable outcomes, suggesting less depression with more acculturation.

DESIGN

Data came from seven two-year waves (2005-2006 to 2017-2018) of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Depression was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Linear and logistic regressions were used to estimate the immigrant differences in depression, while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, healthcare access, health conditions, and the use of medications with depression or suicidality as a side-effect.

RESULTS

30.3% and 22.7% of US-born adults used at least one medication with depression or suicidality as a side-effect, compared to 16.4% and 9.2% of foreign-born adults. Access to healthcare improved with time in the US and with acculturation, and both of these factors were also positively associated with the use of medications with depression or suicidality as a side-effect. The magnitude of the mediation associated with medication side-effects was significant, in many cases sufficient to eliminate the relationship between acculturation - whether expressed in terms of time in the US, English-language use, or nativity - and depression.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to medications with depression or suicidality as a side-effect helped explain part of the relative mental health advantage of foreign-born residents, as well as the diminishing advantage associated with time in the US and with acculturation.

Adherence to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis in a specialized service in São Paulo, Brazil

INTRODUCTION

The effectiveness of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) depends on adherence to the protocol, which includes taking antiretrovirals (ARVs) and attending visits. We examined the adherence rate to antiretroviral agents and follow-up visits identifying the associated characteristics of adherence and the reasons for not attending HIV PEP consultations in a specialized service in São Paulo, Brazil.

METHODOLOGY

This was a cross-sectional study with health service users who had an indication for PEP due to sexual exposure in an HIV/AIDS service from April to October 2019. The health service users were followed-up throughout the prophylaxis cycle. Adherence was determined through self-reports on antiretroviral agent use and attendance to follow-up consultations.

RESULTS

Association measures were employed to identify adherence-related characteristics. The sample analyzed included 91 users. The mean age was 32.5 years old (SD = 9.8). The largest share was white-skinned (49.5%), men who have sex with other men (62.2%), male (86.8%), and undergraduate/graduate students (65.9%). Adherence totaled 56.7% and health insurance was the associated characteristic (p = 0.039). Work (55.9%), using a private service (15.2%), forgetfulness (11.8%) and considering follow-up unnecessary (11.8%) were the main reasons for not attending the follow-up appointments.

CONCLUSIONS

Few users do attend HIV PEP consultations. The users without health insurance had the highest adherence percentage whereas work was mentioned as a reason for not attending HIV PEP consultations.

Direct medical cost and medications for patient of diabetes retinopathy in Beijing, China, 2016 to 2018

AIMS

Medications and costs of drug for diabetic retinopathy in outpatient in China have not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hypoglycemic drugs and medical costs of diabetic retinopathy patients in the Beijing medical insurance system, analyze the characteristics of outpatient treatment, and investigate the changes in the quantity and cost of hypoglycemic drugs from 2016 to 2018 METHODS: This is a retrospective observational study, including diabetic patients with outpatient records in Beijing medical insurance from 2016 to 2018. Data on oral hypoglycemic drugs , insulin and non-hypoglycemic drugs, complications, treatment strategies, and annual medical costs were recorded Results: A total of 2,853,036 diabetic patients in Beijing medical insurance were enrolled in this study. 4.19%-4.67% of patients were diagnosed with retinopathy. Patients with retinopathy have more diabetic complications (1.65±0.71 vs 0.18±0.44. pp<.0001),and use more drugs (5.11±2.60 vs 3.85±2.34, pp <.0001), the annual total drug cost is also higher (¥ 13836±11244 vs ¥ 10030±9375, pp <.0001). The numbers of medication in retinopathy patients increased(5.11±2.60 vs 4.95±2.57, pp <.0001), and the annual total drug cost (¥13836±11244 vs ¥15642±13344, pp <.0001)decreased in 2018 compared with 2016.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with retinopathy were associated with more complications. Compared with patients without retinopathy, the number of medications and total medical costs were significantly increased. From 2016 to 2018, there was an increase in the number of medication treatments for patients with retinopathy, but a decrease in cost.

Hospitalisations related to administration errors of psychotropic drugs: a nationwide retrospective study between 1998 and 2019 in Australia

Objectives: Medication administration error occurs when there is a discrepancy between what the patient received or was planned to receive and what the doctor originally intended. The aim of this study was to examine the trends in hospitalisation related to administration errors of psychotropic drugs in Australia. Materials and Methods: This was a secular trend analysis study that examined the hospitalisation pattern for medication administration errors of psychotropic drugs in Australia between 1998 and 2019. Data on medication administration errors of psychotropic drugs was obtained from The National Hospital Morbidity Database. We analysed the variation in hospitalisation rates using the Pearson chi-square test for independence. Results: Hospitalisation rates related to administration errors of psychotropic drugs increased by 8.3% [from 36.22 (95% CI 35.36-37.08) in 1998 to 39.21 (95% CI 38.44-39.98) in 2019 per 100,000 persons, p < 0.05]. Overnight-stay hospital admission patients accounted for 70.3% of the total number of episodes. Rates of same-day hospitalisation increased by 12.3% [from 10.35 (95% CI 9.90-10.81) in 1998 to 11.63 (95% CI 11.21-12.05) in 2019 per 100,000 persons]. Rates of overnight-stay hospital admission increased by 1.8% [from 25.86 (95% CI 25.13-26.59) in 1998 to 26.34 (95% CI 25.71-26.97) in 2019 per 100,000 persons]. Other and unspecified antidepressants (selective serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) were the most common reason for hospitalisation accounting for 36.6% of the total number of hospitalisation episodes. Females accounted for 111,029 hospitalisation episodes, representing 63.2% of all hospitalisation episodes. The age group 20-39 years accounted for nearly half (48.6%) of the total number of episodes. Conclusion: Psychotropic drug administration error is a regular cause of hospitalization in Australia. Hospitalizations usually required overnight stays. The majority of hospitalizations were in persons aged 20-39 years, which is concerning and warrants further investigation. Future studies should examine the risk factors for hospitalization related to psychiatric drug administration errors.

Autonomic dysregulation, cognition and fatigue in people with depression and in active and healthy controls: observational cohort study

BACKGROUND

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysregulation might be relevant to the pathophysiology of fatigue and cognitive impairment in depression and perhaps should be considered when making prescribing decisions.

AIMS

To determine the relationship of self-reported ANS symptoms with fatigue, cognition and prescribed medication in people with a diagnosis of depression, in comparators without depression but with other mental health, neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative disorders (active controls) and in healthy controls.

METHOD

Cross-sectional analysis of an opportunistic sample from England. Self-reported data were collected on demographics, diagnosis, medication, ANS symptoms (Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale-31, COMPASS-31) and fatigue (Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue, VAS-F). A subsample completed cognitive tests (THINC-it), including the subjective Perceived Deficits Questionnaire five-item version (PDQ-5). Spearman's correlation and mediation models were used to explore the relationship between COMPASS-31, VAS-F and PDQ-5 scores.

RESULTS

Data were obtained for 3345 participants, 22% with depression. The depression group had significantly (P < 0.01) more severe autonomic dysregulation as measured by COMPASS-31 scores (median 30) than active (median 23) and healthy controls (median 10). The depression group had significantly higher symptom severity (P < 0.01) than both control groups on the VAS-F and PDQ-5. Overall, there was a significantly positive correlation (P < 0.01) between COMPASS-31, VAS-F scores (Spearman's rho r_s = 0.44) and PDQ-5 scores (r_s = 0.56). COMPASS-31 scores mediated greater symptom severity on the VAS-F and PDQ-5 for those with depression. COMPASS-31 scores remained significantly different between the depression group and both control groups independently of medication.

CONCLUSIONS

People with a diagnosis of depression report worse fatigue and cognition than active and healthy comparators; this appears to be mediated by ANS dysregulation.

Diabetes treatment deintensification in Australians with dementia compared to the general population: A national cohort study

BACKGROUND

Diagnosis of dementia may change peoples' goals of care. In people with diabetes, this may lead to relaxing treatment targets and reducing the use of diabetes medications. The aim of this study was to examine changes in diabetes medication use before and after initiating medication for dementia.

METHODS

A national cohort of people aged 65-97 years, living with dementia and diabetes, and a general population cohort with diabetes matched for age, sex, and index date were extracted from the Australian national medication claims database. Trajectories of diabetes medication use, expressed as mean defined daily dose (DDD) each month for each individual from 24 months before to 24 months after the index date, were estimated using group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM). Cohorts were analyzed separately.

RESULTS

People with dementia (N = 1884) and the matched general population (N = 7067) had a median age of 80 years (interquartile range 76-84) and 55% were female. In both models, people exhibited one of five diabetes medication trajectories, with 16.5% of people with dementia and 24.0% of the general population assigned to trajectories that represented deintensification. In the general population model, those on deintensifying trajectories were older than those on stable trajectories (median 83 vs. 79 years). In the dementia cohort model, those on high or low deintensifying trajectories were slightly older (median age 81 or 82, respectively, vs. 80 years) and had at least 1 more comorbidity (median 8 or 7, respectively, vs. 6) than those on stable trajectories.

CONCLUSIONS

Initiating medication for dementia does not appear to be a trigger for deintensification of diabetes treatment regimens. Deintensification was more common in the general population; people living with dementia are potentially overtreated for diabetes.

Trends in Management of Osteoporosis Following Primary Vertebral Compression Fracture

Purpose

Osteoporosis affects more than 200 million individuals worldwide and predisposes to vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Given undertreatment of fragility fractures, including VCFs, we investigate current anti-osteoporotic medication prescribing trends.

Methods

Patients 50 and older with a diagnosis of primary closed thoracolumbar VCF between 2004 and 2019 were identified from the Clinformatics® Data Mart database. Multivariate analysis was performed for demographic and clinical treatment and outcome variables.

Results

Of 143 081 patients with primary VCFs, 16 780 (11.7%) were started on anti-osteoporotic medication within a year; 126 301 (88.3%) patients were not started on medication. The medication cohort was older (75.4 ± 9.3 vs 74.0 ± 12.3 years, P < .001), had higher Elixhauser Comorbidity Index scores (4.7 ± 6.2 vs 4.3 ± 6.7, P < .001), was more likely to be female (81.1% vs 64.4%, P < .001), and was more likely to have a formal osteoporosis diagnosis (47.8% vs 32.9%) than the group that did not receive medication. Alendronate (63.4%) and calcitonin (27.8%) were the most commonly initiated medications. The proportion of individuals receiving anti-osteoporotic medication within the year following VCF peaked in 2008 (15.2%), then declined until 2012 with a modest increase afterward.

Conclusions

Osteoporosis remains undertreated after low-energy VCFs. New anti-osteoporotic medication classes have been approved in recent years. Bisphosphonates remain the most prescribed class. Increasing recognition and treatment of osteoporosis is paramount to decreasing the risk of subsequent fractures.

Psychiatric Diagnoses and Treatment in Nine- to Ten-Year-Old Participants in the ABCD Study

Objective

Psychiatric disorders commonly emerge prior to adulthood. Identification and intervention may vary significantly across populations. We leveraged a large population-based study to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and treatments, and evaluate predictors of treatment, in children ages 9-10 in the United States.

Method

We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Developmental (ABCD) Study. The Computerized Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (KSADS-COMP) was used to estimate clinical diagnoses, and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Parents reported on prescription medications and other mental health interventions. Prevalence rates of KSADS diagnoses and treatments were calculated. Logistic regression analyses estimated associations between clinical and sociodemographic predictors (sex at birth, race, ethnicity, income, education, urbanicity) and treatments.

Results

The most common KSADS diagnoses were anxiety disorders, followed by attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder. ADHD and depression diagnoses predicted stimulant and antidepressant medication use, respectively. Bipolar and ADHD diagnoses also predicted antidepressant medications, outpatient treatment and psychotherapy. The odds of reporting specific treatments varied by sex, ethnic and racial identities, urbanicity, and income.

Conclusion

Expected rates of KSADS-based psychiatric symptoms are present in the ABCD sample at ages 9-10, with treatment patterns broadly mapping onto psychopathology in expected ways. However, we observed important variations in reported treatment utilization across sociodemographic groups, likely reflecting societal and cultural influences. Findings are considered in the context of potential mental health disparities in U.S. children.

Methodological issues in social cognition research in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorder: a systematic review

Recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses conclude that similar social cognitive impairments are found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD). While methodological issues have been mentioned as a limitation, no study has yet explored the magnitude of methodological heterogeneity across these studies and its potential impact for their conclusion. The purpose of this study was to systematically review studies comparing social cognitive impairments in ASD and SSD with a focus on methodology. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we searched all publications on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase. Of the 765 studies identified in our data base searches, 21 cross-sectional studies were included in the review. We found significant methodological heterogeneity across the studies. In the 21 studies, a total of 37 different measures of social cognition were used, 25 of which were only used in 1 study. Across studies, the same measure was often said to be assessing different constructs of social cognition - a confusion that seems to reflect the ambiguous definitions of what these measures test in the studies that introduced them. Moreover, inadequate differential diagnostic assessment of ASD samples was found in 81% of the studies, and sample characteristics were markedly varied. The ASD and SSD groups were also often unmatched in terms of medication usage and substance use disorder history. Future studies must address these methodological issues before a definite conclusion can be drawn about the potential similarity of social cognitive impairments in ASD and SSD.

The Spectrum of Heart Failure Management

Heart failure, a complex cardiovascular condition, is a huge burden on patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems and it is prevalent worldwide. Heart failure is caused by a wide variety of underlying conditions that include both cardiac and non-cardiac pathologies. Identifying the underlying cause enables us to apply etiology-based interventions. The spectrum of heart failure management ranges from classification to transplantation. In addition to its classification and monitoring, this article reviews various management strategies, including both conventional methods and the latest innovations. These include lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapy, device therapy, transplantation, and regenerative medicine.

Medication Adherence Status and Its Association With Quality of Life Among Individuals With Neurological Conditions in Saudi Arabia

INTRODUCTION

Chronic disorders commonly require long-term therapies. Medication non-adherence can cause major morbidity and mortality in chronic illness individuals, as well as increase the financial burden on the healthcare system. It is considered that patients who adhere to their treatment may improve their quality of life (QoL). There is a scarcity of updated comprehensive data on medication adherence among Saudi patients with neurological disorders. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the medication adherence status among individuals with neurological conditions and its association with QoL.

METHOD

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted. The study included subjects individuals who have neurological conditions aged at least 18 from different regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire measured medication adherence by using the 10-item version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS-10, ©Professor Rob Horne). The QoL was measured by employing validated Euro Quality of Life 5-dimension scale (EQ-5D).

RESULTS

A total of 370 participants were included. Respondents aged 18 to 35 years represented 62.4% of the sample. More than half of the participants were females (65.7%). The most frequently reported chronic conditions were migraine (29.2%), epilepsy (20.8%), and multiple sclerosis (20.5%). The reliability of the EQ-5D questionnaire was acceptable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.764). In general, more than half of the participants indicated that had problems due to pain/discomfort (60.3%) and anxiety/depression (62.2%). The most common pattern of non-adherence was taking the medication only when a patient needed it followed by avoiding taking the medication as possible. Non-adherence to medications was less prevalent among participants with epilepsy (68.8%) and multiple sclerosis (65.8%). On the other hand, medication adherence was higher among respondents with migraine compared to participants without the condition (86.1% vs 73.7%, p = 0.009). A significantly lower proportion of participants who had some or extreme problems with self-care were non-adherent to medications compared to those who had no problems (68.1% vs 80.3%, respectively, p = 0.016). Results of the regression analysis showed that participants with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis were less likely to be non-adherence to medications. Furthermore, respondents with moderate and severe problems in self-care were less likely to be non-adherent.

CONCLUSION

It was found that more than half of the participants had problems regarding their QoL due to pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. The most prevalent pattern of non-adherence was taking the medication only when needed. Participants with epilepsy and multiple sclerosis were less likely to be non-adherent to medications. Furthermore, respondents with moderate and severe problems in self-care were less likely to be non-adherent. We recommend serial studies on the issue should be conducted to gather more evidence regarding this topic.

Current State and Future Directions in the Therapy of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting upper and lower motor neurons, with death resulting mainly from respiratory failure three to five years after symptom onset. As the exact underlying causative pathological pathway is unclear and potentially diverse, finding a suitable therapy to slow down or possibly stop disease progression remains challenging. Varying by country Riluzole, Edaravone, and Sodium phenylbutyrate/Taurursodiol are the only drugs currently approved in ALS treatment for their moderate effect on disease progression. Even though curative treatment options, able to prevent or stop disease progression, are still unknown, recent breakthroughs, especially in the field of targeting genetic disease forms, raise hope for improved care and therapy for ALS patients. In this review, we aim to summarize the current state of ALS therapy, including medication as well as supportive therapy, and discuss the ongoing developments and prospects in the field. Furthermore, we highlight the rationale behind the intense research on biomarkers and genetic testing as a feasible way to improve the classification of ALS patients towards personalized medicine.

Fitness for Use of Anatomical Therapeutic Classification for Real World Data Research

INTRODUCTION

Real-world data (RWD) is gaining importance in research. For instance, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is currently in the process of establishing a cross-national research network that utilizes RWD for research. However, data harmonization across countries must be carefully considered to avoid misclassification and bias.

OBJECTIVES

This paper aims to investigate the extent to which a correct assignment of RxNorm ingredients is possible for medication orders that include only ATC codes.

METHODS

In this study, we analyzed 1,506,059 medication orders from the University Hospital Dresden (UKD) and merged them with the ATC vocabulary in the Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership (OMOP) including relevant relationship mappings to RxNorm.

RESULTS

We identified 70.25% of all medication orders were single ingredients with direct mapping to RxNorm. However, we also identified a significant complexity in mappings for the other medication orders that was visualized in an interactive scatterplot.

DISCUSSION

The majority of medication orders under observation (70.25%) are single ingredients and can be standardized to RxNorm, combination drugs pose a challenge due to the different approaches of ingredient assignments in ATC and RxNorm. The provided visualization can help research teams gain a better understanding of problematic data and further investigate identified issues.

Nationally Shared Medication Lists - Describing Systems in the Nordic Countries

This paper provides an overview of shared medication lists (SMLs) in four Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) with a focus on the type of information the list is based on. This is a structured comparison conducted in stages using an expert group, grey papers, unpublished materials, web pages, as well as scientific papers. Denmark and Finland have implemented their solutions for an SML and Norway and Sweden are working on the implementation of their solution. Denmark and Norway have or are aiming at a list based on medication orders, while Finland and Sweden have lists based on prescriptions.

Medication Adherence and Its Influencing Factors among Patients with Heart Failure: A Cross Sectional Study

Background and objectives: The chronic nature of heart failure requires long-lasting consumption of various medications. Despite the therapeutic benefits of heart failure medications, about 50% of patients with heart failure don't adequately adhere to their medications as prescribed globally. This study aimed to determine medication adherence levels among Jordanians with heart failure and its influencing factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 164 patients with heart failure attending cardiac clinics in the north of Jordan. The Medication Adherence Scale was used to measure medication adherence. Results: Overall, 33.5% of patients had high adherence, and 47% had partial to poor adherence. The proportion of patients with good to high adherence was significantly higher among patients younger than 60 years, having >high school level of education, being married, living with somebody, and having insurance. Conclusions: Patient-centered approach, targeting age, level of education, marital status, and health insurance coverage, should be developed using evidence-based guidelines to enhance adherence to medication and health outcomes in Jordanian patients with heart failure. The development and implementation of new and feasible strategies, particularly suited to Jordan's healthcare system capabilities, is important to improve medication adherence.

Digital Healthy Diet Literacy and Fear of COVID-19 as Associated with Treatment Adherence and Its Subscales among Hemodialysis Patients: A Multi-Hospital Study

Treatment adherence (TA) is a critical issue and is under-investigated in hemodialysis patients. A multi-center study was conducted from July 2020 to March 2021 on 972 hemodialysis patients in eight hospitals in Vietnam to explore the factors associated with TA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected, including socio-demographics, an End-Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD-AQ), 12-item short-form health literacy questionnaire (HLS-SF12), 4-item digital healthy diet literacy scale (DDL), 10-item hemodialysis dietary knowledge scale (HDK), 7-item fear of COVID-19 scale (FCoV-19S), and suspected COVID-19 symptoms (S-COVID19-S). Bivariate and multivariate linear regression models were used to explore the associations. Higher DDL scores were associated with higher TA scores (regression coefficient, B, 1.35; 95% confidence interval, 95%CI, 0.59, 2.12; p = 0.001). Higher FCoV-19S scores were associated with lower TA scores (B, -1.78; 95%CI, -3.33, -0.24; p = 0.023). In addition, patients aged 60-85 (B, 24.85; 95%CI, 6.61, 43.11; p = 0.008) with "very or fairly easy" medication payment ability (B, 27.92; 95%CI, 5.89, 44.95; p = 0.013) had higher TA scores. Patients who underwent hemodialysis for ≥5 years had a lower TA score than those who received <5 years of hemodialysis (B, -52.87; 95%CI, -70.46, -35.28; p < 0.001). These findings suggested that DDL and FCoV-19S, among other factors, should be considered in future interventions to improve TA in hemodialysis patients.

Memantine for Refractory Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Protocol for a Pragmatic, Double-blind, Randomized, Parallel-Group, Placebo-Controlled, Monocenter Trial

BACKGROUND

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric syndrome characterized by unwanted and repetitive thoughts and repeated ritualistic compulsions for decreasing distress. Symptoms can cause severe distress and functional impairment. OCD affects 2% to 3% of the population and is ranked within the 10 leading neuropsychiatric causes of disability. Cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuitry dysfunction has been implicated in OCD, including altered brain activation and connectivity. Complex glutamatergic signaling dysregulation within cortico-striatal circuitry has been proposed in OCD. Data obtained by several studies indicate reduced glutamatergic concentrations in the anterior cingulate cortex, combined with overactive glutamatergic signaling in the striatum and orbitofrontal cortex. A growing number of randomized controlled trials have assessed the utility of different glutamate-modulating drugs as augmentation medications or monotherapies for OCD, including refractory OCD. However, there are relevant variations among studies in terms of patients' treatment resistance, comorbidity, age, and gender. At present, 4 randomized controlled trials are available on the efficacy of memantine as an augmentation medication for refractory OCD.

OBJECTIVE

Our study's main purpose is to conduct a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, monocenter trial to assess the efficacy and safety of memantine as an augmentative agent to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of moderate to severe OCD. The study's second aim is to evaluate the effect of memantine on cognitive functions in patients with OCD. The third aim is to investigate if responses to memantine are modulated by variables such as gender, symptom subtypes, and the duration of untreated illness.

METHODS

Investigators intend to conduct a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, monocenter trial to assess the efficacy and safety of memantine as an augmentative agent to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the treatment of patients affected by severe refractory OCD. Participants will be rated via the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 months. During the screening period and T4 and T6 follow-up visits, all participants will undergo an extensive neuropsychological evaluation. The 52-week study duration will consist of 4 distinct periods, including memantine titration and follow-up periods.

RESULTS

Recruitment has not yet started. The study will be conducted from June 2023 to December 2024. Results are expected to be available in January 2025. Throughout the slow-titration period, we will observe the minimum effective dose of memantine, and the follow-up procedure will detail its residual efficacy after drug withdrawal.

CONCLUSIONS

The innovation of this research proposal is not limited to the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of memantine as an augmentation medication for OCD. We will also test if memantine acts as a pure antiobsessive medication or if memantine's ability to improve concentration and attention mimics an antiobsessive effect.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05015595; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05015595.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/39223.

Cardiometabolic Patient-Related Factors Influencing the Adherence to Lifestyle Changes and Overall Treatment: A Review of the Recent Literature

It is well acknowledged that most of the modifiable risk factors for Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) can be averted through lifestyle modifications beyond medication adherence. This review aims to critically evaluate the cardiometabolic (CM) patient-related factors that influence the adherence to lifestyle changes studied alone and/or in combination with medication. A comprehensive literature search of PubMed articles from 2000 to 2023 retrieved 379 articles. After removing the articles which were not relevant, a total of 28 cross-sectional studies was chosen (12 qualitative, and 16 quantitative). The findings confirmed that five groups of factors influence patients' adherence to overall treatment: (1) health beliefs, knowledge, and perceptions regarding the risks and challenges of disease and medication intake along with adherence process perceptions; (2) self-concept; (3) emotions; (4) patient-healthcare providers relationship/communication and (5) social and cultural interactions. It is worth mentioning that cultural issues, such as culinary particularities, ethnic identity, social life as well as patients' skills and abilities, play a profound role in the effectiveness of the recommended lifestyle modifications beyond the aforementioned common factors. The need for clear-cut culturally adapted guidelines along with personalized advice from physicians is imperative as it could improve patients' self-efficacy. These socio-psychological factors should be seriously considered as a means to increase the effectiveness of future community prevention programs.

Using Animated Videos to Promote the Accessibility and Understandability of Package Leaflets: Retrospective Observational Study Evaluating the First Year of Implementation

BACKGROUND

The medication package leaflet is the most used and trusted source of information in the home situation but is often incomprehensible for individuals, especially for those with limited health literacy. The platform "Watchyourmeds" comprises a web-based library with over 10,000 animated videos that explain the most essential information from the package leaflet in an unambiguous and simple manner to increase the accessibility and understandability of package leaflets.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate Watchyourmeds in the Netherlands from a user perspective during the first year of implementation by investigating (1) usage data, (2) self-reported user experiences, and (3) the preliminary and potential impact on medication knowledge.

METHODS

This was a retrospective observational study. The first aim was investigated by examining objective user data from 1815 pharmacies from the first year of implementation of Watchyourmeds. User experiences (second aim) were investigated by examining individuals' completed self-report questionnaires (n=4926) that they received after completing a video. The preliminary and potential impact on medication knowledge (third aim) was investigated by examining users' self-report questionnaire data (n=67) that assessed their medication knowledge about their prescribed medication.

RESULTS

Nearly 1.8 million videos have been distributed to users by over 1400 pharmacies, with monthly numbers increasing to 280,000 in the last month of the implementation year. Most users (4444/4805, 92.5%) indicated to have fully understood the information presented in the videos. Female users reported more often to have fully understood the information than male users (χ²₄=11.5, P=.02). Most users (3662/4805, 76.2%) said that they did not think any information was missing in the video. Users with a lower educational level stated more often (1104/1290, 85.6%) than those with a middle (984/1230, 80%) or higher (964/1229, 78.4%) educational level that they did not seem to be missing any information in the videos (χ²₁₂=70.6, P<.001). A total of 84% (4142/4926) of the users stated that they would like to use Watchyourmeds more often and for all their medication, or would like to use it most of the time. Male users and older users stated more often that they would use Watchyourmeds again for other medication than the female (χ²₃=25.0, P<.001) and younger users (χ²₃=38.1, P<.001), respectively. Almost 88% (4318/4926) of the users would recommend the web-based library to friends, family, or acquaintances. Regarding the third aim, results showed that 73.8% (293/397) of the questions assessing users' medication knowledge were answered correctly.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that a web-based library with animated videos is a valuable and acceptable addition to stand-alone package leaflets to increase the understanding and accessibility of medication information.

The current state-of-the-art in pharmacotherapy for pediatric generalized anxiety disorder

INTRODUCTION

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders among youth. Among the various anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder is particularly prevalent. Youth with GAD appear at elevated risk of developing other anxiety disorders, mood disorder, and substance use disorders. Functional outcomes of youth with GAD can be improved through early recognition and treatment, thus promoting better longer-term outcomes.

AREAS COVERED

The current article summarizes evidence-based state-of-the-art pharmacotherapy for pediatric GAD based on open-label, randomized, and controlled trials. Two electronic databases (PubMed and Scopus) were systematically searched in April 2022 for relevant publications.

EXPERT OPINION

The literature supports a combination of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy as being associated with better outcomes when compared to mono-therapies. While longer-term follow-ups are limited, one such study does challenge this notion. Both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) have been found across studies to have moderate effect sizes in the treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders. SSRIs continue to be a first-line intervention, whereas SNRIs may be considered a second-line treatment. While more evidence is needed, there are emerging data indicating that SSRIs are associated with a more rapid and greater reduction in anxiety symptoms when compared to SNRIs.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Optimal Discharge Summary: Effective Communication of Medication Changes for Older Patients

Background: The importance of the discharge summary (DS) is well recognized. The format to be used is also important, but this aspect has not yet been studied in the literature. The purpose of this work was to establish a DS format for older patients that ensures effective communication with general practitioners (GPs). Methods: This study was based on the grounded theory approach to qualitative analysis. Data was collected from GPs during semi-structured and directive interviews. Results: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 GPs and directive interviews with 39 GPs. A consensus was reached on one DS version providing selected information items such as trends in laboratory results (rising/falling) and information about planned drug withdrawals or specialist consultations. Conclusion: This work led to a consensus on the most appropriate format for the DS for older patients returning home. Its use in routine practice is needed to confirm its reception by GPs.

Dental students' knowledge of and attitudes towards prescribing medication in Western Australia

INTRODUCTION

Dentists can prescribe medications for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes. In Australia, dental graduates can autonomously practise within the scope of their qualifications without needing to undertake an internship post-graduation. Although previous research has identified knowledge gaps amongst dental students in Australia on pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutic knowledge, there has been no published research that qualitatively highlights dental students' knowledge of medication prescribing in Australia. This study aimed to undertake a qualitative analysis of Western Australian dental students' attitudes towards and knowledge of medication prescribing.

METHODS

This qualitative case study design employed semi-structured interviews as means of collecting data. It utilised a purposive sampling in penultimate and final year dental students at the University of Western Australia.

RESULTS

Twenty dental students participated in the study. Five key themes were identified in the data: current and previous education, application when delivering pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics, teaching to ensure patient-centred care, supervision and referral to relevant resources. Participants agreed that having previous knowledge in the area provides students with confidence regarding medication prescribing. Furthermore, students in this study valued having guidance when prescribing medications.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the complexity of medication prescribing for dental students. It also highlights their experience with the current pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics curriculum. All students interviewed valued application-based teaching, making it specific to dentistry. If curriculum were to be redeveloped, considering their perceptions may be a valuable tool.

Impacts of increases and decreases of drugs on rehabilitation outcomes of subacute stroke patients

OBJECTIVE

To examine changes in drugs for subacute stroke patients and elucidate the impact of medications on rehabilitation outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 295 subacute stroke patients who were admitted to the convalescent rehabilitation ward between June 2018 and May 2019 were included. Polypharmacy was defined as five or more drugs at admission. The primary outcome was the Functional Independence Measure Total score (FIM-T) at discharge. Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between the FIM-T at discharge and drug changes or other factors. This study was conducted in two stages. The first analysis included all stroke patients, and the second analysis included only stroke patients with polypharmacy.

RESULTS

On multiple regression analysis, the number of drugs at admission (β=-0.628) was associated with FIM-T at discharge of all stroke patients. Furthermore, the number of additional drugs during hospitalization (β=-1.964) was associated with FIM-T at discharge in the 176 stroke patients with polypharmacy.

CONCLUSION

This study suggested that the number of drugs at admission and the addition of drugs during hospitalization might have a negative impact on the rehabilitation outcomes of subacute stroke patients.

Professional caregivers' participation in the International Caregiver Development Programme: A qualitative study of psychosocial care in nursing homes

AIM

This paper aims to explore professional caregivers' experiences of psychosocial care for older persons living in nursing homes following the professional caregivers' participation in the International Caregiver Development Programme (ICDP).

DESIGN

A qualitative study.

METHODS

About 15 focus group interviews and 25 participatory observations of five ICDP group courses were conducted with 31 employees in nursing homes, including registered nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing aids. The findings emerged through hermeneutic analysis.

RESULTS

Main findings: (i) Adjusting the communication to the residents' psychosocial needs, (ii) Seeing the residents as individuals and (iii) Adjusting to individual interaction with the residents. The professional caregivers experienced that the residents participated more in communication, interaction and activities, in addition to be more satisfied, calm, happy and thankful in interaction with the caregivers. Furthermore, they described that the environment in the units became calmer and that they were considering psychosocial care before medication. Work-related stress seems to impact ICDP participation and may be a barrier to implementation.

Developing a Digital Medication Adherence Intervention for and With Patients With Asthma and Low Health Literacy: Protocol for a Participatory Design Approach

BACKGROUND

Current eHealth interventions are poorly adopted by people with low health literacy (LHL) as they often fail to meet their needs, skills, and preferences. A major reason for this poor adoption is the generic, one-size-fits-all approach taken by designers of these interventions, without addressing the needs, skills, and preferences of disadvantaged groups. Participatory design approaches are effective for developing interventions that fit the needs of specific target groups; yet, very little is known about the practical implications of executing a participatory design project for and with people with LHL.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to demonstrate the application of participatory design activities specifically selected to fit the needs and skills of people with LHL and how these were manifested within an overarching eHealth design process. In addition, the study aims to present reflections and implications of these activities that could support future designers to engage people with LHL in their design processes.

METHODS

We used the design process of a smart asthma inhaler for people with asthma and LHL to demonstrate participatory design activities. The study was framed under 5 stages of design thinking: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test within 2 major iteration cycles. We integrated 3 participatory design activities deemed specifically appropriate for people with LHL: co-constructing stories, experience prototype exhibition, and video prototype evaluation.

RESULTS

Co-constructing stories was found to deepen the understanding of the participant's motivation to use or not to use maintenance medication. This understanding informed and facilitated the subsequent development of diverse preliminary prototypes of possible interventions. Discussing these prototypes in the experience prototype exhibition helped provoke reactions, thoughts, and feelings about the interventions, and potential scenarios of use. Through the video prototype evaluation, we were able to clearly communicate the goal and functionality of the final version of our intervention and gather appropriate responses from our participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates a participatory design approach for and with patients with asthma and LHL. We demonstrated that careful consideration and selection of activities can result in participants that are engaged and feel understood. This paper provides insight into the practical implications of participatory activities with people with LHL and supports and inspires future designers to engage with this disadvantaged target group.

Molar-incisor hypomineralisation in Norwegian children: Prevalence and associated factors

This study investigated the prevalence and associations of molar-incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) in 8-9 year-old children in Oslo. A total of 3013 children in one age cohort participated in the study during their regular dental examination at the Public Dental Service. Hypomineralised enamel defects were recorded according to the European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry criteria for MIH. Information on health and medications used during pregnancy and in the child's first 3 years of life was obtained from a questionnaire administered to parents. The overall prevalence of MIH was 28.2%, with no gender difference. A higher prevalence of MIH was found in children who had been ill or had used medication in early life and in those whose mother had been ill during pregnancy. No association was found between MIH and prematurity or maternal use of medication during pregnancy. The multivariable analyses showed that children with MIH were more likely to have suffered from illness in early life (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.17-1.70), used antibiotics during the first year of life (OR = 1.68, 95% CI: 1.19-2.35), experienced tooth pain (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.03-1.72), and experienced pain while toothbrushing (OR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.46-3.23) than children without MIH. The prevalence of MIH was high in the children participating in this study.

Disentangling the links between gastric emptying and binge eating v. purging in eating disorders using a case-control design

BACKGROUND

Prior work supports delayed gastric emptying in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (BN) but not binge-eating disorder, suggesting that neither low body weight nor binge eating fully accounts for slowed gastric motility. Specifying a link between delayed gastric emptying and self-induced vomiting could offer new insights into the pathophysiology of purging disorder (PD).

METHODS

Women (N = 95) recruited from the community meeting criteria for DSM-5 BN who purged (n = 26), BN with nonpurging compensatory behaviors (n = 18), PD (n = 25), or healthy control women (n = 26) completed assessments of gastric emptying, gut peptides, and subjective responses over the course of a standardized test meal under two conditions administered in a double-blind, crossover sequence: placebo and 10 mg of metoclopramide.

RESULTS

Delayed gastric emptying was associated with purging with no main or moderating effects of binge eating in the placebo condition. Medication eliminated group differences in gastric emptying but did not alter group differences in reported gastrointestinal distress. Exploratory analyses revealed that medication caused increased postprandial PYY release, which predicted elevated gastrointestinal distress.

CONCLUSIONS

Delayed gastric emptying demonstrates a specific association with purging behaviors. However, correcting disruptions in gastric emptying may exacerbate disruptions in gut peptide responses specifically linked to the presence of purging after normal amounts of food.

Medication-Related Complaints in Residential Aged Care

Complaints reflect a person's or family's experience within the aged care system and provide important insight into community expectations and consumer priorities. Crucially, when aggregated, complaints data can serve to indicate problematic trends in care provision. Our objective was to characterize the areas of medication management most frequently complained about in Australian residential aged care services from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2020. A total of 1134 complaint issues specifically referenced medication use. Using content analysis, with a dedicated coding framework, we found that 45% of these complaints related to medicine administration processes. Three categories received nearly two thirds of all complaints: (1) not receiving medication at the right time; (2) inadequate medication management systems; and (3) chemical restraint. Half of the complaints described an indication for use. These were, in order of frequency: 'pain management', 'sedation', and 'infectious disease/infection control'. Only 13% of medication-related complaints referred to a specific pharmacological agent. Opioids were the most common medication class referred to in the complaint dataset, followed by psychotropics and insulin. When compared to complaint data composition overall, a higher proportion of anonymous complaints were made about medication use. Residents were significantly less likely to lodge complaints about medication management, probably due to limited engagement in this part of clinical care provision.

The Pharmacist Prescriber: A Psychological Perspective on Complex Conversations about Medicines: Introducing Relational Prescribing and Open Dialogue in Physical Health

Pharmacists have traditionally supported the prescribing process, arguably in reactive or corrective roles. The advent of pharmacist prescribing in 2004 represented a major shift in practice, leading to greater responsibility for making clinical decisions with and for patients. Prescribing rights require pharmacists to take a more prescriptive role that will allow them to contribute to long-standing prescribing challenges such as poor medication adherence, overprescribing, and the need for shared decision-making and person-centered care. Central to these endeavors are the development and possession of effective consultation skills. University schools of pharmacists in the UK now routinely include consultation skills training, which is also provided by national education bodies. These challenges remain difficult to overcome, even though it is understood, for example, that increasing the effectiveness of adherence interventions may have a far greater impact on the health of the population than any improvement in specific medical treatments. More recently, a concerted effort has been made to tackle overprescribing and the harm that may occur through the inappropriate use of medication. In routine pharmacy work, these priorities may linger at the bottom of the list due to the busy and complex nature of the work. Solutions to these problems of adherence, optimizing benefits of medication, and overprescribing have typically been pragmatic and structured. However, an arguably reductionist approach to implementation fails to address the complex patient interactions around prescribing and taking medication, and the heterogeneity of the patient's experience, leaving the answers elusive. We suggest that it is essential to explore how person-centered care is perceived and to emphasize the relational aspects of clinical consultations. The development of routine pharmacist prescribing demands building on the core values of person-centered care and shared decision making by introducing the concepts of "relational prescribing" and "open dialogue" to cultivate an essential pharmacotherapeutic alliance to deliver concrete positive patient outcomes. We provide a vignette of how a clinical case can be approached using principles of relational prescribing and open dialogue. We believe these are solutions that are not additional tasks but must be embedded into pharmacy practice. This will improve professional satisfaction and resilience, and encourage curiosity and creativity, particularly with the advent of all pharmacists in Great Britain becoming prescribers at graduation from 2026.

Effect of a controlled lifestyle intervention on medication use and costs: The Healthy Lifestyle Community Program (cohort 2)

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS (www.drks.de; reference: DRKS00018775).

Adverse effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in critically ill patients: A scoping review

PURPOSE

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often recommended as opioid-sparing agents. The objective of this scoping review was to conduct a thorough search of the current literature to determine whether in adult critically ill patients there is an association between exposure to NSAIDs vs no NSAIDs and the subsequent development of serious adverse events, particularly gastrointestinal bleeding and acute kidney injury (AKI).

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews was utilized as a guideline for reporting. Searches were performed in PubMed (National Library of Medicine), Cochrane Library (Wiley), EMBASE (Elsevier), Stat!Ref (Teton), and Access Pharmacy (McGraw Hill) for articles published from January 2016 to August 2022.

RESULTS

Of the 3,062 citations and titles identified in the search, 2,737 titles remained after removal of duplicates, 2,588 were excluded at title and abstract screening, and 149 articles remained for full-text review. None of the studies involved heterogeneous groups of critically ill patients in nonspecialty intensive care unit settings. Most studies evaluated were conducted in the perioperative setting and had limited adverse events reporting, particularly with respect to serious NSAID-related adverse effects of concern in critically ill patients.

CONCLUSION

In published studies primarily involving perioperative patients, there is insufficient detail concerning the definitions and reporting of NSAID-related serious adverse events such as bleeding and AKI. These events are of particular concern in heterogeneous critically ill patient populations predisposed to such complications. In most (if not all) critically ill patients, sustained dosing of NSAIDs should be avoided regardless of COX-1 selectivity due to the paucity of safety data.