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Fathima P, Jones M, D'Souza R, Totterdell J, Andric N, Abbott P, Norman R, Howard K, Cheng W, Pedrana A, Doyle JS, Davies J, Snelling T. Financial incentives to motivate treatment for hepatitis C with direct acting antivirals among Australian adults (The Methodical evaluation and Optimisation of Targeted IncentiVes for Accessing Treatment of Early-stage hepatitis C: MOTIVATE-C): protocol for a dose-response randomised controlled study. Trials 2024; 25:387. [PMID: 38886819 PMCID: PMC11181591 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-024-08212-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Untreated hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection can result in cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapies are highly effective and have few side effects compared to older interferon-based therapy. Despite the Australian government providing subsidised and unrestricted access to DAA therapy for chronic HCV infection, uptake has not been sufficient to meet the global target of eliminating HCV as a public health threat by 2030. This study will offer people with HCV financial incentives of varying values in order to evaluate its effect on initiation of DAA therapy in primary care. METHODS Australian adults (18 years or older) who self-report as having current untreated HCV infection can register to participate via an automated SMS-based system. Following self-screening for eligibility, registrants are offered a financial incentive of randomised value (AUD 0 to 1000) to initiate DAA therapy. Study treatment navigators contact registrants who have consented to be contacted, to complete eligibility assessment, outline the study procedures (including the requirement for participants to consult a primary care provider), obtain consent, and finalise enrolment. Enrolled participants receive their offered incentive on provision of evidence of DAA therapy initiation within 12 weeks of registration (primary endpoint). Balanced randomisation is used across the incentive range until the first analysis, after which response-adaptive randomisation will be used to update the assignment probabilities. For the primary analysis, a Bayesian 4-parameter EMAX model will be used to estimate the dose-response curve and contrast treatment initiation at each incentive value against the control arm (AUD 0). Specified secondary statistical and economic analyses will evaluate the effect of incentives on adherence to DAA therapy, virological response, and cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION This project seeks to gain an understanding of the dose-response relationship between incentive value and DAA treatment initiation, while maximising the number of people treated for HCV within fixed budget and time constraints. In doing so, we hope to offer policy-relevant recommendation(s) for the use of financial incentives as a pragmatic, efficient, and cost-effective approach to achieving elimination of HCV from Australia. TRIAL REGISTRATION ANZCTR (anzctr.org.au), Identifier ACTRN12623000024640, Registered 11 January 2023 ( https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=384923&isReview=true ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Parveen Fathima
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Mark Jones
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Reena D'Souza
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - James Totterdell
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nada Andric
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Penelope Abbott
- Department of General Practice, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
| | - Richard Norman
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Kirsten Howard
- Menzies Centre for Health Policy and Economics, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Wendy Cheng
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA, Australia
- Curtin Medical School, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Alisa Pedrana
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Joseph S Doyle
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Jane Davies
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
- Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Thomas Snelling
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Lemansky MG, Martin AK, Bernstein JA, Assoumou SA. Research Compensation and Enhanced Contacts in Studies With Persons Who Use Drugs: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic Demand a Reset. Subst Abuse 2023; 17:11782218231179039. [PMID: 37309367 PMCID: PMC10251077 DOI: 10.1177/11782218231179039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Policy changes resulting from the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have had a substantial and positive impact on the clinical care of persons with opioid use disorder. These innovative paradigm shifts created a ripe environment for re-evaluating traditional approaches to recruiting and retaining persons who use drugs into research studies. For example, changes to methadone prescribing requirements and authorization of buprenorphine prescriptions via telehealth have both increased access to medications. In this commentary, we contribute to ongoing conversations about the ethics of compensation for participants in addiction-related clinical research and share methods of payment that proved successful in research performed during the pandemic. We also discuss approaches to enrollment and follow-up that were implemented during the height of COVID restrictions. These approaches may mutually benefit both participants and researchers in a post-pandemic era.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anna K Martin
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Judith A Bernstein
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sabrina A Assoumou
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
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Greer AM, Pauly B, Scott A, Martin R, Burmeister C, Buxton J. Paying people who use illicit substances or ‘peers’ participating in community-based work: a narrative review of the literature. DRUGS-EDUCATION PREVENTION AND POLICY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/09687637.2018.1494134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alissa Merielle Greer
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Bernadette Pauly
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Alex Scott
- Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Ruth Martin
- College of Health Disciplines, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | | | - Jane Buxton
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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Pisapia JM, Halpern CH, Muller UJ, Vinai P, Wolf JA, Whiting DM, Wadden TA, Baltuch GH, Caplan AL. Ethical Considerations in Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Addiction and Overeating Associated With Obesity. AJOB Neurosci 2013; 4:35-46. [PMID: 29152408 PMCID: PMC5687095 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2013.770420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The success of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders and the improved understanding of the neurobiologic and neuroanatomic bases of psychiatric diseases have led to proposals to expand current DBS applications. Recent preclinical and clinical work with Alzheimer's disease and obsessive-compulsive disorder, for example, supports the safety of stimulating regions in the hypothalamus and nucleus accumbens in humans. These regions are known to be involved in addiction and overeating associated with obesity. However, the use of DBS targeting these areas as a treatment modality raises common ethical considerations, which include informed consent, coercion, enhancement, threat to personhood, and manipulation of the reward center. Pilot studies for both of these conditions are currently investigational. If these studies show promise, then there is a need to address the ethical concerns related to the initiation of clinical trials including the reliability of preclinical evidence, patient selection, study design, compensation for participation and injury, cost-effectiveness, and the need for long-term follow-up. Multidisciplinary teams are necessary for the ethical execution of such studies. In addition to establishing safety and efficacy, the consideration of these ethical issues is vital to the adoption of DBS as a treatment for these conditions. We offer suggestions about the pursuit of future clinical trials of DBS for the treatment of addiction and overeating associated with obesity and provide a framework for addressing ethical concerns related to treatment.
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Müller UJ, Voges J, Steiner J, Galazky I, Heinze HJ, Möller M, Pisapia J, Halpern C, Caplan A, Bogerts B, Kuhn J. Deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens for the treatment of addiction. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2012; 1282:119-28. [PMID: 23227826 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2012.06834.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite novel medications and other therapeutic strategies, addiction to psychotropic substances remains one of the most serious public health problems worldwide. In this review, beginning with an introduction of deep brain stimulation (DBS), we highlight the importance of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in the context of the reward circuitry and addictive behavior. We will provide a short historic overview of other neurosurgical approaches to treat addiction and describe the experimental and preclinical data on DBS in addiction. Finally, we call attention to key ethical issues related to using DBS to treat addiction that are important for future research and the design of clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf J Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Festinger DS, Dugosh KL. Paying substance abusers in research studies: where does the money go? THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2012; 38:43-8. [PMID: 22185328 PMCID: PMC3881275 DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2011.563337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research involving substance-abusing participants is often hindered by low rates of recruitment and retention. Research suggests that monetary payment or remuneration can be an effective strategy to overcome these obstacles. OBJECTIVES This article provides a brief overview of these issues and provides data reflecting how substance-abusing participants in several of our studies used their baseline and follow-up payments. We also present research findings related to how the mode of payment (i.e., cash, check, gift card) may affect how payments are used. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE Overall, our findings suggest that participants use their research payments in a responsible and safe manner. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Festinger
- Section of Law and Ethics, Treatment Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3414, USA.
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DeSantis SM, Bandyopadhyay D. Hidden Markov models for zero-inflated Poisson counts with an application to substance use. Stat Med 2011; 30:1678-94. [PMID: 21538455 DOI: 10.1002/sim.4207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2009] [Accepted: 01/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Paradigms for substance abuse cue-reactivity research involve pharmacological or stressful stimulation designed to elicit stress and craving responses in cocaine-dependent subjects. It is unclear as to whether stress induced from participation in such studies increases drug-seeking behavior. We propose a 2-state Hidden Markov model to model the number of cocaine abuses per week before and after participation in a stress-and cue-reactivity study. The hypothesized latent state corresponds to 'high' or 'low' use. To account for a preponderance of zeros, we assume a zero-inflated Poisson model for the count data. Transition probabilities depend on the prior week's state, fixed demographic variables, and time-varying covariates. We adopt a Bayesian approach to model fitting, and use the conditional predictive ordinate statistic to demonstrate that the zero-inflated Poisson hidden Markov model outperforms other models for longitudinal count data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacia M DeSantis
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
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DeSantis SM, Bandyopadhyay D, Back SE, Brady KT. Non-treatment laboratory stress- and cue-reactivity studies are associated with decreased substance use among drug-dependent individuals. Drug Alcohol Depend 2009; 105:227-33. [PMID: 19717245 PMCID: PMC2875261 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2009] [Revised: 07/13/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human laboratory paradigms for examining stress- or cue-reactivity in substance-dependent individuals often involve exposure to pharmacological, psychosocial or physical laboratory procedures or drug paraphernalia. This study examines whether participation in such studies alters drug-seeking behavior and which patient attributes contribute to increased use. METHODS In two separate studies, the relationship between participation and drug use post-study were examined. Cocaine-dependent participants received 1 microg/kg of corticotropin releasing hormone intravenously, underwent the Trier Social Stress Task, and were exposed to drug cues and various measures obtained. Cocaine use for 90 days prior and 28 days following the study was assessed. Methamphetamine-dependent participants were exposed to drug cues and various measures obtained. Methamphetamine use for 90 days prior and 14 days following the study was assessed. Weekly drug use was modeled using a 2-state hidden Markov model assuming two possible underlying states at each week. Bayesian estimation was used. Results are presented as posterior mean odds ratios (OR) and 95% credible intervals (CI). RESULTS Participation decreased the odds of remaining in or transitioning to the high use state (cocaine study OR=0.04 [CI=0.01, 0.11]; methamphetamine study OR=0.39 [CI=0.07, 1.70]). In the cocaine study, older age increased the odds of remaining in or transitioning into the high use state (1.66 [CI=0.99, 2.96]). In the methamphetamine study, male gender increased the odds (2.70 [CI=1.10, 6.17]). CONCLUSION Stress and cue exposure paradigms were associated with a decreased odds of drug use following participation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dipankar Bandyopadhyay
- Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Epidemiology, 135 Cannon Street Suite 303, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
| | - Sudie E. Back
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Clinical Neuroscience Division, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
| | - Kathleen T. Brady
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Clinical Neuroscience Division, 67 President Street, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
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