Cluster randomized controlled trial of Delayed Educational Reminders for Long-term Medication Adherence in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (DERLA-STEMI)

Impact of a patient-centered tool to reduce misconceptions about coronary artery disease and its treatment: The CAD roadmap

Objective

Health misinformation is common and can lead to harmful behaviors such as medication non-adherence. We assessed the impact of a novel patient educational tool focused on overcoming misconceptions among patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods

We developed the CAD Roadmap, an educational tool aimed at explaining the disease trajectory and overcoming common disease misconceptions (such as that statin medications are not beneficial). We designed a pilot survey to assess patients' 1) CAD-related knowledge, 2) medication-taking behavior, and 3) acceptability of the Roadmap. Survey participants were recruited online. CAD knowledge scores were compared with repeated measures t-tests.

Results

Among 114 patients with CAD (mean age 67 years, 63% male), average CAD-related knowledge was 79.0% pre-test and 89.7% after review of the CAD Roadmap (p < .001). After review of the Roadmap, 24% indicated they planned to take their medications more regularly, 93% agreed it was helpful in understanding medication benefits, and 77% felt more empowered to participate in medical decisions.

Conclusion

The CAD Roadmap was evaluated positively, improved disease-related knowledge, and has the potential to improve adherence to treatments.

Innovation

Unlike many other interventions, the CAD Roadmap is specifically designed to overcome common misconceptions to improve health behaviors.

Remote intensive management to improve antiplatelet adherence in acute myocardial infarction: a secondary analysis of the randomized controlled IMMACULATE trial

This study aim to investigate if remote intensive coaching for the first 6 months post-AMI will improve adherence to the twice-a-day antiplatelet medication, ticagrelor. Between July 8, 2015, to March 29, 2019, AMI patients were randomly assigned to remote intensive management (RIM) or standard care (SC). RIM participants underwent 6 months of weekly then two-weekly consultations to review medication side effects and medication adherence coaching by a centralized nurse practitioner team, whereas SC participants received usual cardiologist face-to-face consultations. Adherence to ticagrelor were determined using pill counting and serial platelet reactivity measurements for 12 months. A total of 149 (49.5%) of participants were randomized to RIM and 152 (50.5%) to SC. Adherence to ticagrelor was similar between RIM and SC group at 1 month (94.4 ± 0.7% vs. 93.6±14.7%, p = 0.537), 6 months (91.0±14.6% vs. 90.6±14.8%, p = 0.832) and 12 months (87.4±17.0% vs. 89.8±12.5%, p = 0.688). There was also no significant difference in platelet reactivity between the RIM and SC groups at 1 month (251AU*min [212-328] vs. 267AU*min [208-351], p = 0.399), 6 months (239AU*min [165-308] vs. 235AU*min [171-346], p = 0.610) and 12 months (249AU*min [177-432] vs. 259AU*min [182-360], p = 0.678). Sensitivity analysis did not demonstrate any association of ticagrelor adherence with bleeding events and major adverse cardiovascular events. RIM, comprising 6 months of intensive coaching by nurse practitioners, did not improve adherence to the twice-a-day medication ticagrelor compared with SC among patients with AMI. A gradual decline in ticagrelor adherence over 12 months was observed despite 6 months of intensive coaching.

The Study of Adherence to Drug Therapy at the Stage of Outpatient Follow-up in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction (Data from the PROFIL-IM Registry)

Aim. To assess adherence  to the recommended therapy at the stage of outpatient follow-up and its impact on long-term outcomes  in patients after acute myocardial  infarction based on the materials of the prospective PROFILE-IM registry.

Material and methods. The PROFILE-IM register included 160 patients who applied to one of the polyclinics in Moscow after a myocardial  infarction. The combined endpoint (CE) included death from any cause, cardiovascular events (nonfatal myocardial infarction,  nonfatal cerebral stroke), emergency hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases, significant  cardiac arrhythmias. Patients' adherence to therapy was assessed using the original questionnaire "Scale of Adherence of the National Society of Evidence-based Pharmacotherapy" (NODF) and a direct standardized patient survey by a doctor about taking medications. Visits to the doctor were carried out every two months,  data from the first year of patient follow-up are presented.

Results. In a personal  interview  with a doctor,  the ratio of the proportion  of committed, partially  committed  and non-committed patients  did not change  significantly over the entire follow-up period, while the proportion of committed patients was 81-85%. The "NODF Adherence Scale" showed that the proportion of non-committed patients was about 10 times higher than with direct patient responses to the doctor, and the proportion of non-committed  and partially committed  patients remained high at all stages of follow-up (respectively 28% and 10% at the beginning of the study, 18% and 10% at the end of the study).  Among the main factors  of non-commitment, there was a decrease  in the importance  of forgetfulness and an increase  in factors  such  as fear  of side effects  of medications, doubt  about  the need  for long-term use of medications  and  well-being. A  direct relationship of adherence with the male sex, the presence of hypertension, a feedback  relationship with alcohol consumption was revealed. The risk of CE in non-committed patients was higher compared  to the group of committed  and partially committed  patients (p<0.01).

Conclusion. The proportion of non-committed and partially committed patients remained high at all stages of follow-up. There was a direct relationship between adherence to therapy with the male sex, the presence of hypertension in the anamnesis, and a feedback relationship with alcohol consumption. Low adherence to therapy significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular events.

Preoperative Heart Failure Treatment Prevents Postoperative Cardiac Complications in Patients With Lower Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify undertreated subgroups of patients with heart failure who would benefit from better perioperative optimization.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Patients with heart failure have increased risks of postoperative cardiac complications after noncardiac surgery.

METHODS

In this analysis of hospital registry data of 130,677 patients undergoing noncardiac surgery, the exposure was preoperative history of heart failure. The outcome, cardiac complications, was defined as a composite of myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, acute heart failure, and mortality within 30 postoperative days.

RESULTS

History of heart failure (n = 10,256; 7.9%) was associated with increased risk of cardiac complications [8.1% vs 1.1%; adjusted odds ratio, 2.28 (95% CI, 2.02-2.56); P < 0.001). Patients with heart failure and who carried a lower risk profile had increased risks of postoperative cardiac complications secondary to heart failure [adjusted absolute risk difference, 1.7% (95% CI, 1.4%-2.0%, lower risk); P < 0.001 vs 0.5% (95% CI, -0.6% to 1.6%, higher risk); P = 0.38]. Patients with heart failure and lower risk received a lower level of health care utilization preoperatively, and less frequently received anti-heart failure medications (59% vs 72% and 61% vs 82%; both P < 0.001). These preventive therapies significantly decreased the risk of cardiac complications in patients with heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with heart failure who have a lower preoperative risk profile, clinicians often make insufficient attempts to optimize their clinical condition preoperatively. Preoperative preventive treatment reduces the risk of postoperative cardiac complications in these lower-risk patients with heart failure.

A Study on Types of Medication Adherence in Hypertension among Older Patients and Influencing Factors

Background: Hypertension has the characteristic that the risk of complications can be reduced through appropriate medication in daily life. Hence, it is important to consider practical measures to increase medication adherence, particularly among older patients. Methods: This study used the Korea Health Panel 2020 data (Version 2.0.1), jointly conducted by Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs and National Health Insurance. A total of 2300 patients with high blood pressure over 65 years of age were selected. In order to identify types of medication adherence in older hypertensive patients, and examine factors that influence the types, the Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) and logistic regression were performed. Results: The types of adherence groups were classified into two groups: an ‘adherence group’ (87.1%) and a ‘non-adherence group’ (12.9%). Furthermore, age, living alone, and depressive symptoms were identified as determinants of medication adherence type among older hypertensive patients. Conclusion: The significant impact of sociodemographic status (age, living alone, and depressive symptoms) on medication adherence among older hypertensive patients indicates the need to establish more specific empirical interventions based on each type’s characteristics. It is expected that this study will provide an in-depth understanding of factors associated with medication adherence among older patients with hypertension, which can support interventions tailored to the specific needs of those who are non-adherent.

Length of initial prescription at hospital discharge and long-term medication adherence for elderly, post-myocardial infarction patients: a population-based interrupted time series study

BACKGROUND

Preliminary evidence suggests that providing longer duration prescriptions at discharge may improve long-term adherence to secondary preventative cardiac medications among post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients. We implemented and assessed the effects of two hospital-based interventions-(1) standardized prolonged discharge prescription forms (90-day supply with 3 repeats for recommended cardiac medications) plus education and (2) education only-on long-term cardiac medication adherence among elderly patients post-MI.

METHODS

We conducted an interrupted time series study of all post-MI patients aged 65-104 years in Ontario, Canada, discharged from hospital between September 2015 and August 2018 with ≥ 1 dispensation(s) for a statin, beta blocker, angiotensin system inhibitor, and/or secondary antiplatelet within 7 days post-discharge. The standardized prolonged discharge prescription forms plus education and education-only interventions were implemented at 2 (1,414 patients) and 4 (926 patients) non-randomly selected hospitals in September 2017 for 12 months, with all other Ontario hospitals (n = 143; 18,556 patients) comprising an external control group. The primary outcome, long-term cardiac medication adherence, was defined at the patient-level as an average proportion of days covered (over 1-year post-discharge) ≥ 80% across cardiac medication classes dispensed at their index fill. Primary outcome data were aggregated within hospital groups (intervention 1, 2, or control) to monthly proportions and independently analyzed using segmented regression to evaluate intervention effects. A process evaluation was conducted to assess intervention fidelity.

RESULTS

At 12 months post-implementation, there was no statistically significant effect on long-term cardiac medication adherence for either intervention-standardized prolonged discharge prescription forms plus education (5.4%; 95% CI - 6.4%, 17.2%) or education only (1.0%; 95% CI - 28.6%, 30.6%)-over and above the counterfactual trend; similarly, no change was observed in the control group (- 0.3%; 95% CI - 3.6%, 3.1%). During the intervention period, only 10.8% of patients in the intervention groups received ≥ 90 days, on average, for cardiac medications at their index fill.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognizing intervention fidelity was low at the pharmacy level, and no statistically significant post-implementation differences in adherence were found, the trends in this study-coupled with other published retrospective analyses of administrative data-support further evaluation of this simple intervention to improve long-term adherence to cardiac medications.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov : NCT03257579 , registered June 16, 2017 Protocol available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33146624/ .

[Adherence to antiplatelet and statin therapy by patients with acute coronary syndrome following discharge]

OBJECTIVE

To assess levels of medication adherence to antiplatelet and statins therapy among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients 30 days after hospital discharge and identify the main barriers to medication adherence and the main sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with treatment adherence.

METHOD

This was a quantitative longitudinal study. Patients admitted to hospital with ACS were included. Initially, data collection was conducted using a semi-structured interview during the hospital stay. Thirty days after hospital discharge, the Brief Medication Questionnaire was applied by phone to assess treatment adherence. Descriptive statistics were used and tests were applied to analyze the association between medication adherence and clinical and sociodemographic data.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-two patients were assessed. The Brief Medication Questionnaire test showed that 49.3% presented probable low adherence to treatment. Marital status, household income and alcohol intake showed an association with medication adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study indicate high rates of probable nonadherence to medication among ACS patients 30 days after hospital discharge, this information could help nurses to choose specific nursing interventions that could improve adherence in patients' daily routines.

Medication Supports at Transitions Between Hospital and Other Care Settings: A Rapid Scoping Review

PURPOSE

Transitions in care (TiC) often involves managing medication changes and can be vulnerable moments for patients. Medication support, where medication changes are reviewed with patients and caregivers to increase knowledge and confidence about taking medications, is key to successful transitions. Little is known about the optimal tools and processes for providing medication support. This study aimed to identify describe patient or caregiver-centered medication support processes or tools that have been studied within 3 months following TiC between hospitals and other care settings.

METHODS

Rapid scoping review; English-language publications from OVID MEDLINE, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library and EBSCO CINAHL (2004-July 2019) that assessed medication support interventions delivered within 3 months following discharge were included. A subset of titles and abstracts were assessed by two reviewers to evaluate agreement and once reasonable agreement was achieved, the remainder were assessed by one reviewer. Eligibility assessment for full-text articles and data charting were completed by an experienced reviewer.

RESULTS

A total of 7671 unique citations were assessed; 60 studies were included. Half of the studies (n = 30/60) were randomized controlled trials. Most studies (n = 45/60) did not discuss intervention development, particularly whether end users were involved in intervention design. Many studies (n = 37/60) assessed multi-component interventions with written/print and verbal education components. Few studies (n = 5/60) included an electronic component. Very few studies (n = 4/60) included study populations at high risk of adverse events at TiC (eg, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, low literacy or language barriers).

CONCLUSION

The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials involving verbal counselling and/or physical document delivered to the patient before discharge. Few studies involved electronic components or considered patients at high-risk of adverse events. Future studies would benefit from improved reporting on development, consideration for electronic interventions, and improved reporting on patients with higher medication-related needs.

A machine learning–based clinical decision support algorithm for reducing unnecessary coronary angiograms

Background

Conventional clinical risk scores and diagnostic algorithms are proving to be suboptimal in the prediction of obstructive coronary artery disease, contributing to the low diagnostic yield of invasive angiography. Machine learning could help better predict which patients would benefit from invasive angiography vs other noninvasive diagnostic modalities.

Objective

To reduce patient risk and cost to the healthcare system by improving the diagnostic yield of invasive coronary angiography through optimized outpatient selection.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of 12 years of referral data from a provincial cardiac registry, including all patients referred for invasive angiography of more than 1.4 million individuals in Ontario, Canada. Stable outpatients undergoing coronary angiography during the study period were included in the analysis. The training set (80% random sample, n = 23,750) was used to develop 8 prediction models in Python using grid-search cross-validation. The test set (20% random sample, n = 5938), evaluated the discrimination performance of each model.

Results

The machine-learning model achieved a substantially better performance (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve: 0.81) than existing models for predicting obstructive coronary artery disease in patients referred for invasive angiography. It significantly outperformed both the reference model and current clinical practice with a net reclassification index of 27.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: [24.9%–30.8%], P value <.01) and 44.7% (95% CI: [42.4%–47.0%], P value <.01), respectively.

Conclusion

This prediction model, when coupled with a point-of-care, online decision support tool to be used by referring physicians, could improve the diagnostic yield of invasive coronary angiography in stable, elective outpatients, thus improving patient safety and reducing healthcare costs.

Effects of the Interactive Web-Based Video "Mon Coeur, Mon BASIC" on Drug Adherence of Patients With Myocardial Infarction: Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Secondary prevention strategies after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presentation with the use of drug combinations are essential to reduce the recurrence of cardiovascular events. However, lack of drug adherence is known to be common in this population and to be related to treatment failure. To improve drug adherence, we developed the "Mon Coeur, Mon BASIC" video. This online video has been specifically designed to inform patients about their disease and their current medications. Interactivity has been used to increase patient attention, and the video can also be viewed on smartphones and tablets.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to assess the long-term impact of an informative web-based video on drug adherence in patients admitted for an ACS.

METHODS

This randomized study was conducted with consecutive patients admitted to University Hospital of Lausanne for ACS. We randomized patients to an intervention group, which had access to the web-based video and a short interview with the pharmacist, and a control group receiving usual care. The primary outcome was the difference in drug adherence, assessed with the Adherence to Refills and Medication Scale (ARMS; 9 multiple-choice questions, scores ranging from 12 for perfect adherence to 48 for lack of adherence), between groups at 1, 3, and 6 months. We assessed the difference in ARMS score between both groups with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Secondary outcomes were differences in knowledge, readmissions, and emergency room visits between groups and patients' satisfaction with the video.

RESULTS

Sixty patients were included at baseline. The median age of the participants was 59 years (IQR 49-69), and 85% (51/60) were male. At 1 month, 51 patients participated in the follow-up, 50 patients participated at 3 months, and 47 patients participated at 6 months. The mean ARMS scores at 1 and 6 months did not differ between the intervention and control groups (13.24 vs 13.15, 13.52 vs 13.68, respectively). At 3 months, this score was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (12.54 vs 13.75; P=.03). We observed significant increases in knowledge from baseline to 1 and 3 months, but not to 6 months, in the intervention group. Readmissions and emergency room visits have been very rare, and the proportion was not different among groups. Patients in the intervention group were highly satisfied with the video.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite a lower sample size than we expected to reach, we observed that the "Mon Coeur, Mon BASIC" web-based interactive video improved patients' knowledge and seemed to have an impact on drug adherence. These results are encouraging, and the video will be offered to all patients admitted to our hospital with ACS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03949608; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03949608.

Medication adherence in cardiovascular medicine

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. While pharmacological advancements have improved the morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease, non-adherence to prescribed treatment remains a significant barrier to improved patient outcomes. A variety of strategies to improve medication adherence have been tested in clinical trials, and include the following categories: improving patient education, implementing medication reminders, testing cognitive behavioral interventions, reducing medication costs, utilizing healthcare team members, and streamlining medication dosing regimens. In this review, we describe specific trials within each of these categories and highlight the impact of each on medication adherence. We also examine ongoing trials and future lines of inquiry for improving medication adherence in patients with cardiovascular diseases.

Impact of provincial and national implementation strategies on P2Y12 inhibitor utilization for acute coronary syndrome in the elderly: an interrupted time series analysis from 2008 to 2018

Background

Guidelines recommend both acetylsalicylic acid and ticagrelor following acute coronary syndrome (ACS), but appropriate prescription practices lag. We analyzed the impact of government medication approval, national guideline updates, and publicly funded drug coverage plans on P2Y12 inhibitor utilization.

Methods

Accessing provincial databases, we obtained data for elderly ACS patients in Ontario, Canada, between 2008 and 2018. Using interrupted-time series with descriptive statistics and segmented regression analysis, we evaluated types of P2Y12 inhibitors prescribed at discharge and changes to their utilization in patients managed with percutaneous intervention (PCI), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or medically, following national antiplatelet therapy guidelines (by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society), ticagrelor’s national approval by Health Canada, and ticagrelor’s coverage by a publicly funded medication plan.

Results

We included 114,142 patients (49.4%-PCI; mean age 75.71±6.94 and 62.3% male and 7.7%-CABG; mean age 74.11±5.63 and 73.5% male).

Among PCI patients, clopidogrel utilization declined monthly after 2010 national guidelines were published (p<0.0001) and within the first month after ticagrelor’s national approval by Health Canada (p=0.03). Among PCI patients, ticagrelor utilization increased within the first month (p<0.0001) and continued increasing monthly (p<0.0001) after its coverage by a publicly funded medication plan. Among PCI patients, clopidogrel utilization declined within the first month (p=0.003) and ticagrelor utilization increased monthly (p=0.05) after 2012 CCS guidelines.

Among CABG patients, ticagrelor’s coverage was associated with a monthly increase in its utilization (p<0.0001).

Conclusion

National guideline updates and drug coverage by a publicly funded medication plan significantly improved P2Y12 inhibitor utilization. Barriers to appropriate antiplatelet therapy in the surgical population must be explored.

Reinforcing adherence to lipid-lowering therapy after an acute coronary syndrome: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Achieving the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a milestone often missed due to suboptimal adherence to secondary prevention treatments. Whether improved adherence could result in reduced LDL-C levels is unclear. We aimed to evaluate whether an educational-motivational intervention increases long-term lipid-lowering therapy (LLT) adherence and LDL-C goal attainment rate among post-ACS patients.

METHODS

IDEAL-LDL was a parallel, two-arm, single-center, pragmatic, investigator-initiated randomized controlled trial. Hospitalized patients for ACS were randomized to a physician-led integrated intervention consisting of an educational session at baseline, followed by regular motivational interviewing phone sessions or usual care. Co-primary outcomes were the LLT adherence (measured by Proportion of Days Covered (PDC); good adherence defined as PDC>80%), and LDL-C goal (<70 mg/dl or 50% reduction from baseline) achievement rate at one year.

RESULTS

In total, 360 patients (mean age 62 years, 81% male) were randomized. Overall, good adherence was positively associated with LDL-C goal achievement rate at one year. Median PDC was higher in the intervention group than the control group [0.92 (IQR, 0.82-1.00) vs. 0.86 (0.62-0.98); p = 0.03] while the intervention group had increased odds of good adherence (odds ratio: 1.76 (95% confidence interval 1.02 to 2.62; p = 0.04). However, neither the LDL-C goal achievement rate (49.6% in the intervention vs. 44.9% in the control group; p = 0.49) nor clinical outcomes differed significantly between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Α multifaceted intervention improved LLT adherence in post-ACS patients without a significant difference in LDL-C goal attainment.

Length of Initial Prescription at Hospital Discharge and Long-Term Medication Adherence for Elderly, Post-Myocardial Infarction Patients: Protocol for an Interrupted Time Series Study

Background

Based on high-quality evidence, guidelines recommend the long-term use of secondary prevention medications post-myocardial infarction (MI) to avoid recurrent cardiovascular events and death. Unfortunately, discontinuation of recommended medications post-MI is common. Observational evidence suggests that prescriptions covering a longer duration at discharge from hospital are associated with greater long-term medication adherence. The following is a proposal for the first interventional study to evaluate the impact of longer prescription duration at discharge post-MI on long-term medication adherence.

Objective

The overarching goal of this study is to reduce morbidity and mortality among post-MI patients through improved long-term cardiac medication adherence. The specific objectives include the following. First, we will assess whether long-term cardiac medication adherence improves among elderly, post-MI patients following the implementation of (1) standardized discharge prescription forms with 90-day prescriptions and 3 repeats for recommended cardiac medication classes, in combination with education and (2) education alone compared to (3) usual care. Second, we will assess the cost implications of prolonged initial discharge prescriptions compared with usual care. Third, we will compare clinical outcomes between longer (>60 days) versus shorter prescription durations. Fourth, we will collect baseline information to inform a multicenter interventional study.

Methods

We will conduct a quasiexperimental, interrupted time series design to evaluate the impact of a multifaceted intervention to implement longer duration prescriptions versus usual care on long-term cardiac medication adherence among post-MI patients. Intervention groups and their corresponding settings include: (1) intervention group 1: 1 cardiac center and 1 noncardiac hospital allocated to receive standardized discharge prescription forms supporting the dispensation of 90 days’ worth of cardiac medications with 3 repeats, coupled with education; (2) intervention group 2: 4 sites (including 1 cardiac center) allocated to receive education only; and (3) control group: all remaining hospitals within the province that did not receive an intervention (ie, usual care). Administrative databases will be used to measure all outcomes. Adherence to 4 classes of cardiac medications — statins, beta blockers, angiotensin system inhibitors, and secondary antiplatelets (ie, prasugrel, clopidogrel, or ticagrelor) — will be assessed.

Results

Enrollment began in September 2017, and results are expected to be analyzed in late 2020.

Conclusions

The results have the potential to redefine best practices regarding discharge prescribing policies for patients post-MI. A policy of standardized maximum-duration prescriptions at the time of discharge post-MI is a simple intervention that has the potential to significantly improve long-term medication adherence, thus decreasing cardiac morbidity and mortality. If effective, this low-cost intervention to implement longer duration prescriptions post-MI could be easily scaled.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03257579; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03257579

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/18981

Effect of pragmatic versus explanatory interventions on medication adherence in people with cardiometabolic conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To synthesise findings from randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of interventions aimed at increasing medication adherence in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD). And, in a novel approach, to compare the intervention effect of studies which were categorised as being more pragmatic or more explanatory using the Pragmatic-Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary-2 (PRECIS-2) tool, to identify whether study design affects outcomes. As explanatory trials are typically held under controlled conditions, findings from such trials may not be relatable to real-world clinical practice. In comparison, pragmatic trials are designed to replicate real-world conditions and therefore findings are more likely to represent those found if the intervention were to be implemented in routine care.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Ovid Medline, Ovid Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2018.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES

RCTs lasting ≥3 months (90 days), involving ≥200 patients in the analysis, with either established CVD and/or T2DM and which measured medication adherence. From 4403 citations, 103 proceeded to full text review. Studies published in any language other than English and conference abstracts were excluded.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Change in medication adherence.

RESULTS

Of 4403 records identified, 34 studies were considered eligible, of which 28, including 30 861 participants, contained comparable outcome data for inclusion in the meta-analysis. Overall interventions were associated with an increase in medication adherence (OR 1.57 (95% CI: 1.33 to 1.84), p<0.001; standardised mean difference 0.24 (95% CI: -0.10 to 0.59) p=0.101). The effectiveness of interventions did not differ significantly between studies considered pragmatic versus explanatory (p=0.598), but did differ by intervention type, with studies that included a multifaceted rather than a single-faceted intervention having a more significant effect (p=0.010). The analysis used random effect models and used the revised Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool to assess study quality.

CONCLUSIONS

In this meta-analysis, interventions were associated with a significant increase in medication adherence. Overall multifaceted interventions which included an element of education alongside regular patient contact or follow-up showed the most promise. Effectiveness of interventions between pragmatic and explanatory trials was comparable, suggesting that findings can be transferred from idealised to real-word conditions.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017059460.

Interventions supporting long term adherence and decreasing cardiovascular events after myocardial infarction (ISLAND): pragmatic randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVE

To test a scalable health system intervention to improve long term adherence to secondary prevention treatments among patients who have had a recent myocardial infarction.

DESIGN

Three arm, pragmatic randomised controlled trial with blinded outcome assessment.

SETTING

Nine cardiac centres in Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

2632 patients with obstructive coronary artery disease after a myocardial infarction, identified from a centralised cardiac registry.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants were randomised 1:1:1 to receive usual care, five mail-outs developed through a user centred design process, or mail-outs plus phone calls. The phone calls were delivered first by an interactive automated system to screen for non-adherence to treatment. Trained lay health workers followed up as necessary. Interventions were coordinated centrally but delivered from each patient's hospital site.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Co-primary outcomes were completion of cardiac rehabilitation and adherence to recommended medication. Data were collected by blinded assessors through patient report and from administrative health databases at 12 months.

RESULTS

2632 patients (mean age 66, 71% male) were randomised: 878 to the full intervention (mail plus phone calls), 878 to mail only, and 876 to usual care. Of the respondents, 174 (27%) of 643 in the usual care group, 200 (32%) of 628 in the mail only group, and 196 (37%) of 531 allocated to the full intervention completed cardiac rehabilitation (adjusted odds ratio 1.55, 95% confidence interval 1.18 to 2.03). In the mail plus phone group, 11.7%, 6.0%, 14.4%, 32.9%, and 35.0% reported adherence to 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 drug classes after one year, respectively, in comparison with 12.5%, 6.8%, 13.6%, 30.2%, and 36.8% in the mail only group, and 12.2%, 8.4%, 13.1%, 30.3%, and 36.1% in the usual care group, respectively (mail only v usual care, odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.19; full intervention v usual care, 0.99, 0.82 to 1.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Scalable interventions delivered by mail plus phone can increase completion of cardiac rehabilitation after myocardial infarction but not adherence to medication. More intensive interventions should be tested to improve adherence to medication and to evaluate the association between attendance at cardiac rehabilitation and adherence to medication.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02382731, registered 9 March 2015 before any patient enrolment.

Interventions for improving medication-taking ability and adherence in older adults prescribed multiple medications

BACKGROUND

Older people taking multiple medications represent a large and growing proportion of the population. Managing multiple medications can be challenging, and this is especially the case for older people, who have higher rates of comorbidity and physical and cognitive impairment than younger adults. Good medication-taking ability and medication adherence are necessary to ensure safe and effective use of medications.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve medication-taking ability and/or medication adherence in older community-dwelling adults prescribed multiple long-term medications.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts from inception until June 2019. We also searched grey literature, online trial registries, and reference lists of included studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, and cluster-RCTs. Eligible studies tested interventions aimed at improving medication-taking ability and/or medication adherence among people aged ≥ 65 years (or of mean/median age > 65 years), living in the community or being discharged from hospital back into the community, and taking four or more regular prescription medications (or with group mean/median of more than four medications). Interventions targeting carers of older people who met these criteria were also included.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently reviewed abstracts and full texts of eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias of included studies. We conducted meta-analyses when possible and used a random-effects model to yield summary estimates of effect, risk ratios (RRs) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean differences (MDs) or standardised mean differences (SMDs) for continuous outcomes, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Narrative synthesis was performed when meta-analysis was not possible. We assessed overall certainty of evidence for each outcome using Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE). Primary outcomes were medication-taking ability and medication adherence. Secondary outcomes included health-related quality of life (HRQoL), emergency department (ED)/hospital admissions, and mortality.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 50 studies (14,269 participants) comprising 40 RCTs, six cluster-RCTs, and four quasi-RCTs. All included studies evaluated interventions versus usual care; six studies also reported a comparison between two interventions as part of a three-arm RCT design. Interventions were grouped on the basis of their educational and/or behavioural components: 14 involved educational components only, 7 used behavioural strategies only, and 29 provided mixed educational and behavioural interventions. Overall, our confidence in results regarding the effectiveness of interventions was low to very low due to a high degree of heterogeneity of included studies and high or unclear risk of bias across multiple domains in most studies. Five studies evaluated interventions for improving medication-taking ability, and 48 evaluated interventions for improving medication adherence (three studies evaluated both outcomes). No studies involved educational or behavioural interventions alone for improving medication-taking ability. Low-quality evidence from five studies, each using a different measure of medication-taking ability, meant that we were unable to determine the effects of mixed interventions on medication-taking ability. Low-quality evidence suggests that behavioural only interventions (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.38; 4 studies) and mixed interventions (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.37; 12 studies) may increase the proportions of people who are adherent compared with usual care. We could not include in the meta-analysis results from two studies involving mixed interventions: one had a positive effect on adherence, and the other had little or no effect. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of educational only interventions (5 studies) on the proportions of people who are adherent. Low-quality evidence suggests that educational only interventions (SMD 0.16, 95% CI -0.12 to 0.43; 5 studies) and mixed interventions (SMD 0.47, 95% CI -0.08 to 1.02; 7 studies) may have little or no impact on medication adherence assessed through continuous measures of adherence. We excluded 10 studies (4 educational only and 6 mixed interventions) from the meta-analysis including four studies with unclear or no available results. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of behavioural only interventions (3 studies) on medication adherence when assessed through continuous outcomes. Low-quality evidence suggests that mixed interventions may reduce the number of ED/hospital admissions (RR 0.67, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.90; 11 studies) compared with usual care, although results from six further studies that we were unable to include in meta-analyses indicate that the intervention may have a smaller, or even no, effect on these outcomes. Similarly, low-quality evidence suggests that mixed interventions may lead to little or no change in HRQoL (7 studies), and very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects on mortality (RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.67 to 1.30; 7 studies). Moderate-quality evidence shows that educational interventions alone probably have little or no effect on HRQoL (6 studies) or on ED/hospital admissions (4 studies) when compared with usual care. Very low-quality evidence means that we are uncertain of the effects of behavioural interventions on HRQoL (1 study) or on ED/hospital admissions (2 studies). We identified no studies evaluating effects of educational or behavioural interventions alone on mortality. Six studies reported a comparison between two interventions; however due to the limited number of studies assessing the same types of interventions and comparisons, we are unable to draw firm conclusions for any outcomes.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Behavioural only or mixed educational and behavioural interventions may improve the proportion of people who satisfactorily adhere to their prescribed medications, but we are uncertain of the effects of educational only interventions. No type of intervention was found to improve adherence when it was measured as a continuous variable, with educational only and mixed interventions having little or no impact and evidence of insufficient quality to determine the effects of behavioural only interventions. We were unable to determine the impact of interventions on medication-taking ability. The quality of evidence for these findings is low due to heterogeneity and methodological limitations of studies included in the review. Further well-designed RCTs are needed to investigate the effects of interventions for improving medication-taking ability and medication adherence in older adults prescribed multiple medications.

Poor adherence to beta-blockers is associated with increased long-term mortality even beyond the first year after an acute coronary syndrome event

Background: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients are widely treated with long-term beta-blocker therapy after cardiac event. Especially for low-risk patients, the benefits of beta-blockers on survival and the optimal therapy duration remain unclear. We investigated the effect of adherence to beta-blockers on long-term survival of ACS patients.Methods and results: A total of 1855 consecutive ACS patients who underwent angiography and survived 30 days after were followed for a median of 8.6 years. During follow-up, 30.1% (n = 558) of patients died. Adherence was assessed as yearly periods covered by medication purchases and investigated as a dynamic time-dependent variable in Cox proportional hazards models. In a univariable model, non-adherence to beta-blockers was associated with higher all-cause mortality (Hazard ratio [HR] 2.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.50-3.57; p < .001). Results were similar in multivariable models on both overall survival (HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.51-2.24; p < .001) and on 1-year landmark survival (HR 1.74, 95% CI 1.41-2.14; p < .001). In subgroup analyses, the increase in all-cause mortality was consistent among low-risk patients (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.16-2.21; p = .004).Conclusion: Poor adherence to beta-blockers is associated with increased long-term mortality among ACS patients. Even low-risk patients seem to benefit from long-term beta-blocker therapy.Key messagesAdherence to secondary prevention medications diminishes drastically over the years after an ACS event.Non-adherence to β-blockers is associated with increased long-term mortality of ACS patients, and the effect on survival extends beyond the first year after an ACS event.Our follow-up was exceptionally lengthy with median follow-up period of 8.6 years.

Adherence to antiplatelet and statin therapy by patients with acute coronary syndrome following discharge

OBJECTIVE

To assess levels of medication adherence to antiplatelet and statins therapy among acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients 30 days after hospital discharge and identify the main barriers to medication adherence and the main sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with treatment adherence.

METHOD

This was a quantitative longitudinal study. Patients admitted to hospital with ACS were included. Initially, data collection was conducted using a semi-structured interview during the hospital stay. Thirty days after hospital discharge, the Brief Medication Questionnaire was applied by phone to assess treatment adherence. Descriptive statistics were used and tests were applied to analyze the association between medication adherence and clinical and sociodemographic data.

RESULTS

One hundred and sixty-two patients were assessed. The Brief Medication Questionnaire test showed that 49.3% presented probable low adherence to treatment. Marital status, household income and alcohol intake showed an association with medication adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of the present study indicate high rates of probable nonadherence to medication among ACS patients 30 days after hospital discharge, this information could help nurses to choose specific nursing interventions that could improve adherence in patients' daily routines.

Effectiveness of mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and change in blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

The aim of this study was to synthesise and evaluate the effectiveness of mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and change in blood pressure in patients with coronary heart disease.

METHODS

Relevant randomised controlled trials evaluating mobile phone-based self-management interventions for medication adherence and/or change in blood pressure in coronary heart disease patients were identified by searching six electronic databases (PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, ProQuest, Scopus and EMBASE) from January 2008 to January 2019. The trials were screened, data were extracted and quality was assessed by two independent reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed for different outcomes while narrative syntheses were conducted for studies that could not be pooled or when there was the presence of high heterogeneity.

RESULTS

Fifteen trials were included in this review, of which 11 of these trials were meta-analysed. Mobile phone-based self-management interventions were associated with a statistically significant reduction in diastolic blood pressure (combined mean difference of -1.99 (95% confidence interval (CI) -3.20 to -0.78; P=0.0001)). However, the combined effect on medication adherence (medium size effect of d=0.72 (95% CI -0.32 to 1.75; P=0.17)) and change in systolic blood pressure (combined mean difference of -1.08 (95% CI -5.51 to 3.35; P=0.63)) was not statistically significant. There was significant heterogeneity among the trials reviewed.

CONCLUSION

Mobile phone-based self-management interventions have the potential to improve self-management and adherence in patients with coronary heart disease but better designed, conducted and reported trials are needed to demonstrate this.

Exposure to guideline-recommended drugs after a first acute myocardial infarction in older adults: does deprivation matter?

BACKGROUND

Inequities between guideline-recommended drugs (GRD) exposure and socioeconomic status might exist. The objective was to assess the association between a material and a social deprivation index and GRD exposure following a first acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in older adults in the province of Quebec.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. Elderly ≥66 years, hospitalized for a first AMI between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2011 and covered by the public drug plan were identified. Exposure to GRD (i.e. simultaneous use of 1) antiplatelet, 2) beta-blocker, 3) lipid-lowering and 4) angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker drugs) was assessed 30 and 365 days following hospital discharge. Associations between deprivation index and GRD exposure were estimated with log-binomial regressions adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Exposure to GRD was 52.2% and 48.0%, 30 and 365 days after hospital discharge, respectively. No statistically significant association was observed in multivariate analysis for both time points. Thirty days post hospital discharge, adjusted prevalence ratio of non-exposure to GRD was 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.95-1.02) for most materially deprived vs. least deprived and 1.04 (95% CI: 0.99-1.08) for most socially deprived vs. least deprived. Similar results were observed for 365 days.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to GRD after a first urgent AMI among older adults insured by the public drug plan in the province of Quebec is relatively low. Reasons and risk groups for this low exposure should be studied to improve secondary prevention. However, results suggest equitable access to GRD, regardless of deprivation.

Impacts of Clinical Pharmacist Intervention on the Secondary Prevention of Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and more efforts should be made to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. This study aimed to investigate the impact of clinical pharmacist intervention on the prognosis of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Chinese patients with CHD. Two hundred and forty patients who had ACS were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 120) or the control group (n = 120). The intervention group received a medication assessment and education by the clinical pharmacist at discharge and telephone follow-ups at 1 week and 1 and 3 months after discharge. The control group received usual care. The primary outcomes of this study were the proportion of patients who had major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), including mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and unplanned cardiac-related rehospitalizations within 6 and 12 months after hospital discharge. Secondary outcome was self-reported medication adherence to evidence-based medications for CHD (antiplatelets, statins, β-blockers, and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers). Of 240 enrolled patients, 238 (98.3%) completed 6-month follow-up, and 235 (97.9%) completed 12-month follow-up. There were no significant differences between intervention and control groups in the percentages of patients who incurred MACEs within the 6-month follow-up (3.3% vs 7.6%, respectively, P = 0.145) or 12-month follow-up (10.9% vs 12.1%, respectively, P = 0.783). Significant improvements were found in the prescribing rates of β-blockers and all four classes of medications at discharge in the intervention group compared with the control group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.009, respectively). There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in the use of all four classes of medications at the 6-month follow-up (48.3% vs 45.8%, respectively, P = 0.691) and 12-month follow-up (47.9% vs 46.6%, respectively, P = 0.836). The use of β-blockers was nonsignificantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group at the 6-month follow-up (74.2% vs. 64.4%, P = 0.103) and 12-month follow-up (74.8% vs 63.8%, P = 0.068). Clinical pharmacist intervention had no significant effects on reduction in cardiovascular events among patients with CHD. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longer time frames for both intervention and follow-up are needed to validate the role of the clinical pharmacist in the morbidity and mortality of CHD.

Clinical Trial Registration:chictr.org.cn, identifier ChiCTR-IOR-16007716.

The role of psychological science in efforts to improve cardiovascular medication adherence

Poor adherence to cardiovascular disease medications carries significant psychological, physical, and economic costs, including failure to achieve therapeutic goals, high rates of hospitalization and health care costs, and incidence of death. Despite much effort to design and evaluate adherence interventions, rates of adherence to cardiovascular-related medications have remained relatively stagnant. We identify two major reasons for this: First, interventions have not addressed the time-varying reasons for nonadherence, and 2nd, interventions have not explicitly targeted the self-regulatory processes involved in adherence behavior. Inclusion of basic and applied psychological science in intervention development may improve the efficacy and effectiveness of behavioral interventions to improve adherence. In this article, we use a taxonomy of time-based phases of adherence-including initiation, implementation, and discontinuation-as context within which to review illustrative studies of barriers to adherence, interventions to improve adherence, and self-regulatory processes involved in adherence. Finally, we suggest a framework to translate basic psychological science regarding self-regulation into multicomponent interventions that can address multiple and time-varying barriers to nonadherence across the three adherence phases. The field of psychology is essential to improving medication adherence and associated health outcomes, and concrete steps need to be taken to implement this knowledge in future interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Developing Behavior Change Interventions for Self-Management in Chronic Illness: An Integrative Overview

More people than ever are living longer with chronic conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Behavior change for effective self-management can improve health outcomes and quality of life in people living with such chronic illnesses. The science of developing behavior change interventions with impact for patients aims to optimize the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of interventions and rigorous evaluation of outcomes and processes of behavior change. The development of new services and technologies offers opportunities to enhance the scope of delivery of interventions to support behavior change and self-management at scale. Herein, we review key contemporary approaches to intervention development, provide a critical overview, and integrate these approaches into a pragmatic, user-friendly framework to rigorously guide decision-making in behavior change intervention development. Moreover, we highlight novel emerging methods for rapid and agile intervention development. On-going progress in the science of intervention development is needed to remain in step with such new developments and to continue to leverage behavioral science's capacity to contribute to optimizing interventions, modify behavior, and facilitate self-management in individuals living with chronic illness.

Recent Approaches to Improve Medication Adherence in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease: Progress Towards a Learning Healthcare System

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Non-adherence to medications for the secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI) is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in these patients. This review describes recent advances in promoting adherence to therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Two large randomized controlled trials to "incentivize" adherence were somewhat disappointing; neither financial incentives nor "peer pressure" successfully increased rates of adherence in the post-MI population. Patient education and provider engagement appear to be critical aspects of improving adherence to CAD therapies, where the provider is a physician, pharmacist, or nurse and follow-up is performed in person or by telephone. Fixed-dose combinations of CAD medications, formulated as a so-called "polypill," have shown some early efficacy in increasing adherence. Technological advances that automate monitoring and/or encouragement of adherence are promising but seem universally dependent on patient engagement. For example, medication reminders via text message perform better if patients are required to respond. Multifaceted interventions, in which these and other interventions are combined together, appear to be most effective. There are several available types of proven interventions through which providers, and the health system at large, can advance patient adherence to CAD therapies. No single intervention to promote adherence will be successful in all patients. Further study of multifaceted interventions and the interactions between different interventions will be important to advancing the field. The goal is a learning healthcare system in which a network of interventions responds and adapts to patients' needs over time.

Interventions Supporting Long-term Adherence aNd Decreasing cardiovascular events (ISLAND): Pragmatic randomized trial protocol

BACKGROUND

Guidelines recommend cardiac rehabilitation and long-term use of cardiac medications for most patients who have had a myocardial infarction (MI), but adherence to these secondary prevention treatments is suboptimal.

METHODS

This is a multicenter, pragmatic, 3-arm randomized trial. Eligible patients (n = 2,742) with obstructive coronary artery disease are randomized post-MI to usual care or 1 of 2 intervention arms. Patients in the first intervention arm receive mail-outs sent on behalf of their cardiologist at 4, 8, 20, 32, and 44 weeks post-MI; content is designed to address determinants of adherence and facilitate discussion between the patient and their health care team. Patients in the second intervention arm receive mail-outs plus automated interactive voice response system telephone calls 2 weeks after each letter, as well as a telephone call by trained lay health workers if the interactive voice response system identifies challenges with adherence. Outcomes are assessed 12 months post-MI via patient self-report and administrative data sources. Co-primary outcomes are adherence to cardiac medications and completion of cardiac rehabilitation. Secondary outcomes include cardiovascular events and mortality. An embedded, theory-informed process evaluation will explore the mechanism of action; an economic evaluation is also planned.

CONCLUSIONS

We describe a complete program evaluation of a highly pragmatic, health-system intervention to support adherence to recommended treatments. Research ethics boards approved waiver of consent for patients enrolled in the trial with provision of multiple opportunities to opt out and a debrief at the time of outcome assessment. The methods used here may provide a model for similar interventions.

Computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes

BACKGROUND

Clinical practice does not always reflect best practice and evidence, partly because of unconscious acts of omission, information overload, or inaccessible information. Reminders may help clinicians overcome these problems by prompting them to recall information that they already know or would be expected to know and by providing information or guidance in a more accessible and relevant format, at a particularly appropriate time. This is an update of a previously published review.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the effects of reminders automatically generated through a computerized system (computer-generated) and delivered on paper to healthcare professionals on quality of care (outcomes related to healthcare professionals' practice) and patient outcomes (outcomes related to patients' health condition).

SEARCH METHODS

We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, six other databases and two trials registers up to 21 September 2016 together with reference checking, citation searching and contact with study authors to identify additional studies.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included individual- or cluster-randomized and non-randomized trials that evaluated the impact of computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals, alone (single-component intervention) or in addition to one or more co-interventions (multi-component intervention), compared with usual care or the co-intervention(s) without the reminder component.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Review authors working in pairs independently screened studies for eligibility and abstracted data. For each study, we extracted the primary outcome when it was defined or calculated the median effect size across all reported outcomes. We then calculated the median improvement and interquartile range (IQR) across included studies using the primary outcome or median outcome as representative outcome. We assessed the certainty of the evidence according to the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 35 studies (30 randomized trials and five non-randomized trials) and analyzed 34 studies (40 comparisons). Twenty-nine studies took place in the USA and six studies took place in Canada, France, Israel, and Kenya. All studies except two took place in outpatient care. Reminders were aimed at enhancing compliance with preventive guidelines (e.g. cancer screening tests, vaccination) in half the studies and at enhancing compliance with disease management guidelines for acute or chronic conditions (e.g. annual follow-ups, laboratory tests, medication adjustment, counseling) in the other half.Computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals, alone or in addition to co-intervention(s), probably improves quality of care slightly compared with usual care or the co-intervention(s) without the reminder component (median improvement 6.8% (IQR: 3.8% to 17.5%); 34 studies (40 comparisons); moderate-certainty evidence).Computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals alone (single-component intervention) probably improves quality of care compared with usual care (median improvement 11.0% (IQR 5.4% to 20.0%); 27 studies (27 comparisons); moderate-certainty evidence). Adding computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals to one or more co-interventions (multi-component intervention) probably improves quality of care slightly compared with the co-intervention(s) without the reminder component (median improvement 4.0% (IQR 3.0% to 6.0%); 11 studies (13 comparisons); moderate-certainty evidence).We are uncertain whether reminders, alone or in addition to co-intervention(s), improve patient outcomes as the certainty of the evidence is very low (n = 6 studies (seven comparisons)). None of the included studies reported outcomes related to harms or adverse effects of the intervention.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is moderate-certainty evidence that computer-generated reminders delivered on paper to healthcare professionals probably slightly improves quality of care, in terms of compliance with preventive guidelines and compliance with disease management guidelines. It is uncertain whether reminders improve patient outcomes because the certainty of the evidence is very low. The heterogeneity of the reminder interventions included in this review also suggests that reminders can probably improve quality of care in various settings under various conditions.

Patient education in the management of coronary heart disease

BACKGROUND

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the single most common cause of death globally. However, with falling CHD mortality rates, an increasing number of people live with CHD and may need support to manage their symptoms and improve prognosis. Cardiac rehabilitation is a complex multifaceted intervention which aims to improve the health outcomes of people with CHD. Cardiac rehabilitation consists of three core modalities: education, exercise training and psychological support. This is an update of a Cochrane systematic review previously published in 2011, which aims to investigate the specific impact of the educational component of cardiac rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVES

1. To assess the effects of patient education delivered as part of cardiac rehabilitation, compared with usual care on mortality, morbidity, health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and healthcare costs in patients with CHD.2. To explore the potential study level predictors of the effects of patient education in patients with CHD (e.g. individual versus group intervention, timing with respect to index cardiac event).

SEARCH METHODS

We updated searches from the previous Cochrane review, by searching the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Cochrane Library, Issue 6, 2016), MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid) and CINAHL (EBSCO) in June 2016. Three trials registries, previous systematic reviews and reference lists of included studies were also searched. No language restrictions were applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

1. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where the primary interventional intent was education delivered as part of cardiac rehabilitation.2. Studies with a minimum of six-months follow-up and published in 1990 or later.3. Adults with a diagnosis of CHD.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened all identified references for inclusion based on the above inclusion criteria. One author extracted study characteristics from the included trials and assessed their risk of bias; a second review author checked data. Two independent reviewers extracted outcome data onto a standardised collection form. For dichotomous variables, risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived for each outcome. Heterogeneity amongst included studies was explored qualitatively and quantitatively. Where appropriate and possible, results from included studies were combined for each outcome to give an overall estimate of treatment effect. Given the degree of clinical heterogeneity seen in participant selection, interventions and comparators across studies, we decided it was appropriate to pool studies using random-effects modelling. We planned to undertake subgroup analysis and stratified meta-analysis, sensitivity analysis and meta-regression to examine potential treatment effect modifiers. We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach to evaluate the quality of the evidence and the GRADE profiler (GRADEpro GDT) to create summary of findings tables.

MAIN RESULTS

This updated review included a total of 22 trials which randomised 76,864 people with CHD to an education intervention or a 'no education' comparator. Nine new trials (8215 people) were included for this update. We judged most included studies as low risk of bias across most domains. Educational 'dose' ranged from one 40 minute face-to-face session plus a 15 minute follow-up call, to a four-week residential stay with 11 months of follow-up sessions. Control groups received usual medical care, typically consisting of referral to an outpatient cardiologist, primary care physician, or both.We found evidence of no difference in effect of education-based interventions on total mortality (13 studies, 10,075 participants; 189/5187 (3.6%) versus 222/4888 (4.6%); random effects risk ratio (RR) 0.80, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.05; moderate quality evidence). Individual causes of mortality were reported rarely, and we were unable to report separate results for cardiovascular mortality or non-cardiovascular mortality. There was evidence of no difference in effect of education-based interventions on fatal and/or non fatal myocardial infarction (MI) (2 studies, 209 participants; 7/107 (6.5%) versus 12/102 (11.8%); random effects RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.26 to 1.48; very low quality of evidence). However, there was some evidence of a reduction with education in fatal and/or non-fatal cardiovascular events (2 studies, 310 studies; 21/152 (13.8%) versus 61/158 (38.6%); random effects RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.23 to 0.56; low quality evidence). There was evidence of no difference in effect of education on the rate of total revascularisations (3 studies, 456 participants; 5/228 (2.2%) versus 8/228 (3.5%); random effects RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.71; very low quality evidence) or hospitalisations (5 studies, 14,849 participants; 656/10048 (6.5%) versus 381/4801 (7.9%); random effects RR 0.93, 95% CI 0.71 to 1.21; very low quality evidence). There was evidence of no difference between groups for all cause withdrawal (17 studies, 10,972 participants; 525/5632 (9.3%) versus 493/5340 (9.2%); random effects RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.88 to 1.22; low quality evidence). Although some health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domain scores were higher with education, there was no consistent evidence of superiority across all domains.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We found no reduction in total mortality, in people who received education delivered as part of cardiac rehabilitation, compared to people in control groups (moderate quality evidence). There were no improvements in fatal or non fatal MI, total revascularisations or hospitalisations, with education. There was some evidence of a reduction in fatal and/or non-fatal cardiovascular events with education, but this was based on only two studies. There was also some evidence to suggest that education-based interventions may improve HRQoL. Our findings are supportive of current national and international clinical guidelines that cardiac rehabilitation for people with CHD should be comprehensive and include educational interventions together with exercise and psychological therapy. Further definitive research into education interventions for people with CHD is needed.

Negotiating Tensions Between Theory and Design in the Development of Mailings for People Recovering From Acute Coronary Syndrome

Background

Taking all recommended secondary prevention cardiac medications and fully participating in a formal cardiac rehabilitation program significantly reduces mortality and morbidity in the year following a heart attack. However, many people who have had a heart attack stop taking some or all of their recommended medications prematurely and many do not complete a formal cardiac rehabilitation program.

Objective

The objective of our study was to develop a user-centered, theory-based, scalable intervention of printed educational materials to encourage and support people who have had a heart attack to use recommended secondary prevention cardiac treatments.

Methods

Prior to the design process, we conducted theory-based interviews and surveys with patients who had had a heart attack to identify key determinants of secondary prevention behaviors. Our interdisciplinary research team then partnered with a patient advisor and design firm to undertake an iterative, theory-informed, user-centered design process to operationalize techniques to address these determinants. User-centered design requires considering users’ needs, goals, strengths, limitations, context, and intuitive processes; designing prototypes adapted to users accordingly; observing how potential users respond to the prototype; and using those data to refine the design. To accomplish these tasks, we conducted user research to develop personas (archetypes of potential users), developed a preliminary prototype using behavior change theory to map behavior change techniques to identified determinants of medication adherence, and conducted 2 design cycles, testing materials via think-aloud and semistructured interviews with a total of 11 users (10 patients who had experienced a heart attack and 1 caregiver). We recruited participants at a single cardiac clinic using purposive sampling informed by our personas. We recorded sessions with users and extracted key themes from transcripts. We held interdisciplinary team discussions to interpret findings in the context of relevant theory-based evidence and iteratively adapted the intervention accordingly.

Results

Through our iterative development and testing, we identified 3 key tensions: (1) evidence from theory-based studies versus users’ feelings, (2) informative versus persuasive communication, and (3) logistical constraints for the intervention versus users’ desires or preferences. We addressed these by (1) identifying root causes for users’ feelings and addressing those to better incorporate theory- and evidence-based features, (2) accepting that our intervention was ethically justified in being persuasive, and (3) making changes to the intervention where possible, such as attempting to match imagery in the materials to patients’ self-images.

Conclusions

Theory-informed interventions must be operationalized in ways that fit with user needs. Tensions between users’ desires or preferences and health care system goals and constraints must be identified and addressed to the greatest extent possible. A cluster randomized controlled trial of the final intervention is currently underway.

Adherence to antiplatelet treatment with P2Y12 receptor inhibitors. Is there anything we can do to improve it? A systematic review of randomized trials

Antiplatelet therapy is the cornerstone of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) and/or undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions. Non-adherence to medication after ACS may lead to increased morbidity, mortality, and costs to the healthcare system due to elevated risk of stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction or death. Medication adherence is an issue of growing concern regarding the improvement of health system performance. Promoting medication adherence offers a rare opportunity to simultaneously improve health outcomes while reducing costs of treatment in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this systematic review was to critically discuss adherence to antiplatelet treatment with P2Y12 receptor inhibitors in CAD patients. After a systematic investigation of the literature in databases including PubMed, CENTRAL and Google Scholar, using appropriate keywords, and considering clinical randomized, prospective observational and retrospective studies, reporting on adherence to treatment with inhibitors of P2Y12 platelet receptors or educational interventions aimed to improve medication adherence in patients with CAD, seven articles were considered eligible for inclusion in this systematic review. Reported adherence to clopidogrel, despite catastrophic consequences of its premature discontinuation, is low. We identified several determinants of low adherence and early discontinuation of clopidogrel. We also present data on the usefulness, utilization and credibility of different methods of medication adherence assessment, and suggest and critically discuss available interventions aimed at improvement of adherence to clopidogrel, still showing the need for innovative approaches to achieve enhanced medication adherence and improve health outcomes after acute myocardial infarction.