1
|
Zhou TT, Wang R, Gu SJ, Xie LL, Zhao QH, Xiao MZ, Chen YL. Effectiveness of Mobile Medical Apps in Ensuring Medication Safety Among Patients With Chronic Diseases: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2022; 10:e39819. [PMID: 36413386 PMCID: PMC9727690 DOI: 10.2196/39819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Along with the rapid growth of the global aging society, the mobile and health digital market has expanded greatly. Countless mobile medical apps (mmApps) have sprung up in the internet market, aiming to help patients with chronic diseases achieve medication safety. OBJECTIVE Based on the medication safety action plans proposed by the World Health Organization, we aimed to explore the effectiveness of mmApps in ensuring the medication safety of patients with chronic diseases, including whether mmApps can improve the willingness to report adverse drug events (ADEs), improve patients' medication adherence, and reduce medication errors. We hoped to verify our hypothesis through a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS The meta-analysis was performed in strict accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and included literature searched from 7 databases-PubMed, Web Of Science, Embase, CINAHL, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, and SinoMed. The publication time was limited to the time of database establishment to April 30, 2022. Studies were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data extracted included authors, years of publication, countries or regions, participants' characteristics, intervention groups, and control groups, among others. Our quality assessment followed the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, Version 6.3. RevMan 5.2 software (Cochrane Collaboration) was used to analyze the statistical data, and a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess data stability. The degree of stability was calculated by using a different statistical method and excluding large-sample studies from the analysis. RESULTS We included 8 studies from 5 countries (China, the United States, France, Canada, and Spain) that were published from January 1, 2014, to December 31, 2021. The total number of participants was 1355, and we analyzed the characteristics of included studies, each app's features, the risk of bias, and quality. The results showed that mmApps could increase ADE reporting willingness (relative risk [RR] 2.59, 95% CI 1.26-5.30; P=.009) and significantly improve medication adherence (RR 1.17, 95% CI 1.04-1.31; P=.007), but they had little effect on reducing medication errors (RR 1.54, 95% CI 0.33-7.29; P=.58). CONCLUSIONS We analyzed the following three merits of mmApps, with regard to facilitating the willingness to report ADEs: mmApps facilitate more communication between patients and physicians, patients attach more importance to ADE reporting, and the processing of results is transparent. The use of mmApps improved medication adherence among patients with chronic diseases by conveying medical solutions, providing educational support, tracking medications, and allowing for remote consultations. Finally, we found 3 potential reasons for why our medication error results differed from those of other studies. TRIAL REGISTRATION PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews CRD42022322072; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=322072.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ting Ting Zhou
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Hepatobiliary Surgery, The Second Affliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Si Jia Gu
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Li Ling Xie
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing Hua Zhao
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ming Zhao Xiao
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yu Lu Chen
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Psihogios A, Brianne Bota A, Mithani SS, Greyson D, Zhu DT, Fung SG, Wilson SE, Fell DB, Top KA, Bettinger JA, Wilson K. A scoping review of active, participant-centred, digital adverse events following immunization (AEFI) surveillance: A Canadian immunization research network study. Vaccine 2022; 40:4065-4080. [PMID: 35680501 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.04.103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-licensure adverse events following immunization (AEFI) surveillance is conducted to monitor vaccine safety, such as identifying batch/brand issues and rare reactions, which consequently improves community confidence. The integration of technology has been proposed to improve AEFI surveillance, however, there is an absence of description regarding which digital solutions are successfully being used and their unique characteristics. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this scoping review were to 1) map the research landscape on digital systems used for active, participant-centred, AEFI surveillance and 2) describe their core components. METHODS We conducted a scoping review informed by the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRSIMA-ScR) guideline. OVID-Medline, Embase Classic + Embase, and Medrxiv were searched by a medical librarian from January 1, 2000 to January 28th, 2021. Two independent reviewers determined which studies met inclusion based on pre-specified eligibility criteria. Data extraction was conducted using pre-made tables with specific variables by one investigator and verified by a second. RESULTS Twenty-seven publications met inclusion, the majority of which came from Australia (n = 15) and Canada (n = 6). The most studied active, participant-centred, digital AEFI surveillance systems were SmartVax (n = 8) (Australia), Vaxtracker (n = 7) (Australia), and Canadian National Vaccine Safety (CANVAS) Network (Canada) (n = 6). The two most common methods of communicating with vaccinees reported were short-message-service (SMS) (n = 15) and e-mail (n = 14), with online questionnaires being the primary method of data collection (n = 20). CONCLUSION Active, participant-centred, digital AEFI surveillance is an area actively being researched as depicted by the literature landscape mapped by this scoping reviewWe hypothesize that the AEFI surveillance approach herein described could become a primary method of collecting self-reported subjective symptoms and reactogenicity from vaccinees, complementing existing systems. Future evaluation of identified digital solutions is necessary to bring about improvements to current vaccine surveillance systems to meet contemporary and future public health needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Athanasios Psihogios
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada
| | - A Brianne Bota
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Salima S Mithani
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Devon Greyson
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - David T Zhu
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Stephen G Fung
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Sarah E Wilson
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada; ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Deshayne B Fell
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karina A Top
- Departments of Pediatrics and Community Health & Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Julie A Bettinger
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, Department of Pediatrics, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Kumanan Wilson
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa, Canada; School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada; Bruyère Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Fossouo Tagne J, Yakob RA, Mcdonald R, Wickramasinghe N. Barriers and Facilitators Influencing Real-Time & Digital Based Reporting of Adverse Drug Reactions by Community Pharmacists: a qualitative study using the Task Technology Fit Framework (Preprint). Interact J Med Res 2022; 11:e40597. [DOI: 10.2196/40597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
|
4
|
Bettinger JA, Sadarangani M, De Serres G, Valiquette L, Vanderkooi OG, Kellner JD, Muller MP, Top KA, Isenor JE, McGeer A, Marty K. The Canadian National Vaccine Safety Network: surveillance of adverse events following immunisation among individuals immunised with the COVID-19 vaccine, a cohort study in Canada. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e051254. [PMID: 35058258 PMCID: PMC8783966 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-051254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 vaccines require enhanced safety monitoring after emergency approval. The Canadian National Vaccine Safety Network monitors the safety of COVID-19 vaccines and provides enhanced monitoring for healthy, auto-immune, immunocompromised, pregnant and breastfeeding populations and allows for the detection of safety signals. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Online participant reporting of health events in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals 12 years of age and older is captured in three surveys: 1 week after dose 1, 1 week after dose 2 and 7 months after dose 1. Medically attended events are followed up by telephone. The number, percentage, rate per 10 000 and incident rate ratios with 95% CIs are calculated by health event, vaccine type, sex and in 10-year age groups. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Each study site has Research Ethics Board approvals for the project (UBC Children's & Women's, CIUSSS de l'Estrie-CHUS, Health PEI, Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board, University of Calgary and Alberta Health Services, IWK Health, Unity Health Toronto and CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Ethics Boards). Individuals are invited to participate in this active surveillance and electronic consent is given before proceeding to each survey. Weekly reports are shared with public health and posted on the study website. At least one peer-reviewed manuscript is produced.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Bettinger
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Manish Sadarangani
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Louis Valiquette
- Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada
| | - Otto G Vanderkooi
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - James D Kellner
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Matthew P Muller
- Medicine, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karina A Top
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jennifer E Isenor
- Canadian Center for Vaccinology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- College of Pharmacy, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Allison McGeer
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sinai Health System, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kimberly Marty
- Vaccine Evaluation Center, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Pediatrics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Nguyen MTH, Krause G, Keller-Stanislawski B, Glöckner S, Mentzer D, Ott JJ. Postmarketing Safety Monitoring After Influenza Vaccination Using a Mobile Health App: Prospective Longitudinal Feasibility Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2021; 9:e26289. [PMID: 33960950 PMCID: PMC8140379 DOI: 10.2196/26289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background For the safety monitoring of vaccinations postlicensure, reports of adverse events after immunization (AEFIs) are crucial. New technologies such as digital mobile apps can be used as an active approach to capture these events. We therefore conducted a feasibility study among recipients of the influenza vaccination using an app for assessment of the reporting of AEFIs. Objective The goal of the research was to determine factors influencing adherence to and correct use of a newly developed app for individuals to report AEFI for 3 months using regular reminder functions, to identify determinants of AEFI occurrence and define reported AEFI types. Methods We developed the app (SafeVac) and offered it to recipients of the influenza vaccination in 3 occupational settings in fall 2018. In this prospective longitudinal feasibility study, data on AEFIs were generated through SafeVac for 3 months. Using logistic and Cox regression, we assessed associations between app adherence, correct app entry, AEFIs, and sociodemographic parameters. Results Of the individuals who logged into SafeVac, 61.4% (207/337) used the app throughout a 3-month period. App use adherence was negatively associated with female sex (odds ratio [OR] 0.47; CI 0.25-0.91) and correct app entry was negatively associated with older age (OR 0.96; CI 0.93-0.99) and lower education (OR 0.31; CI 0.13-0.76). AEFI occurrence was associated with female sex (hazard ratio 1.41; CI 1.01-1.96) and negatively with older age (hazard ratio 0.98; CI 0.97-0.99). The most common AEFIs reported were injection site pain (106/337), pain in extremity (103/337), and fatigue/asthenia (73/337). Conclusions Digital AEFI reporting was feasible with SafeVac and generated plausible results for this observation period and setting. Studies directly comparing SafeVac with conventional passive reporting schemes could determine whether such digital approaches improve completeness, timeliness, and sensitivity of vaccine vigilance. Further studies should evaluate if these results are transferable to other vaccinations and populations and if introduction of such a tool has an influence on vaccination readiness and therefore vaccine safety.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minh Tam H Nguyen
- PhD Programme Epidemiology, Hannover Biomedical Research School, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gérard Krause
- PhD Programme Epidemiology, Hannover Biomedical Research School, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Stephan Glöckner
- PhD Programme Epidemiology, Hannover Biomedical Research School, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Jördis J Ott
- PhD Programme Epidemiology, Hannover Biomedical Research School, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.,Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Atkinson KM, Mithani SS, Bell C, Rubens-Augustson T, Wilson K. The digital immunization system of the future: imagining a patient-centric, interoperable immunization information system. Ther Adv Vaccines Immunother 2020; 8:2515135520967203. [PMID: 33681700 PMCID: PMC7900792 DOI: 10.1177/2515135520967203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
To ensure the effectiveness of increasingly complex immunization programs in upper-middle and high-income settings, comprehensive information systems are needed to track immunization uptake at individual and population levels. The maturity of cloud systems and mobile technologies has created new possibilities for immunization information systems. In this paper, we describe a vision for the next generation of digital immunization information systems for upper-middle and high-income settings based on our experience in Canada. These systems center on the premise that the public is engaged and informed about the immunization process beyond their interaction with primary care, and that they will be a contributor and auditor of immunization data. The digital immunization system of the future will facilitate reporting of adverse events following immunization, issue digital immunization receipts, permit identification of areas of need and allow for delivery of interventions targeting these areas. Through features like immunization reminders and targeted immunization promotion campaigns, the system will reduce many of the known barriers that influence immunization rates. In light of the global COVID-19 pandemic, adaptive digital public health information systems will be required to guide the rollout and post-market surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M. Atkinson
- Department of Global Public Health,
Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, CANImmunize Inc,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Salima Saleem Mithani
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa
Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Kumanan Wilson
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa
Hospital Research Institute, 1053 Carling Ave, Ottawa, ON
K1Y4E9, Canada
- CANImmunize Inc, Ottawa, ON,
Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of
Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Bruyere Research Institute, Ottawa,
ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Oosterhuis I, Taavola H, Tregunno PM, Mas P, Gama S, Newbould V, Caster O, Härmark L. Characteristics, Quality and Contribution to Signal Detection of Spontaneous Reports of Adverse Drug Reactions Via the WEB-RADR Mobile Application: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. Drug Saf 2019; 41:969-978. [PMID: 29761281 PMCID: PMC6153975 DOI: 10.1007/s40264-018-0679-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Spontaneous reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions is key for efficient post-marketing safety surveillance. To increase usability and accessibility of reporting tools, the Web-Recognising Adverse Drug Reactions (WEB-RADR) consortium developed a smartphone application (app) based on a simplified reporting form. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics, quality and contribution to signals of reports submitted via the WEB-RADR app. Methods The app was launched in the UK, the Netherlands and Croatia between July 2015 and May 2016. Spontaneous reports submitted until September 2016 with a single reporter were included. For each country, app reports and reports received through conventional means in the same time period were compared to identify characteristic features. A random subset of reports was assessed for clinical quality and completeness. The contribution to signal detection was assessed by a descriptive analysis. Results Higher proportions of app reports were submitted by patients in the UK (28 vs. 18%) and Croatia (32 vs. 7%); both p < 0.01. In the Netherlands, the difference was small (60 vs. 57%; p = 0.5). The proportion of female patients and the median patient ages in app reports submitted by patients were similar to the reference. The proportion of reports of at least moderate quality was high in both samples (app: 78–85%, reference: 78–98%), for all countries. App reports contributed to detecting eight potential safety signals at the national level, four of which were eventually signalled. Conclusion The WEB-RADR app offers a new route of spontaneous reporting that shows promise in attracting reports from patients and that could become an important tool in the future. Patient demographics are similar to conventional routes, report quality is sufficient despite a simplified reporting form, and app reports show potential in contributing to signal detection. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s40264-018-0679-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Oosterhuis
- Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Henric Taavola
- Uppsala Monitoring Centre, Box 1051, 75140, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Philip M Tregunno
- Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines Division, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, London, UK
| | - Petar Mas
- Agency for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Sara Gama
- Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Victoria Newbould
- Pharmacovigilance Department, Inspections and Human Medicines Pharmacovigilance Division, European Medicines Agency, London, UK
| | - Ola Caster
- Uppsala Monitoring Centre, Box 1051, 75140, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Linda Härmark
- Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Centre Lareb, 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dos Santos G. Challenges in implementing yearly enhanced safety surveillance of influenza vaccination in Europe: lessons learned and future perspectives. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2019; 15:2624-2636. [PMID: 31116631 PMCID: PMC6930062 DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2019.1608745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal influenza vaccines are frequently reformulated, leading to specific challenges for continuous benefit/risk monitoring. In 2014, the European Medicines Agency started requiring annual enhanced safety surveillance (ESS). This article provides a perspective on ESS studies conducted ever since and aims to map existing initiatives used to monitor adverse events following influenza immunization. Of 11 ESS studies, reporting surveillance data of at least five different vaccine brands during four seasons, all were able to rapidly capture vaccine-specific adverse events of interest reports. However, challenges have been identified during study implementation, including recruitment of sufficient participants, enrolling younger age groups, collecting data of vaccine batch numbers, comparing observed with expected rates and achieving adequate return of reported events. Harmonizing safety monitoring standards across countries, and bridging between routine pharmacovigilance and ESS, is likely to allow more comprehensive assessments of influenza vaccine safety, requiring close collaboration between regulators, public health, and manufacturers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Dos Santos
- US/BE Vaccine Research and Development Center, Clinical R&D, GSK, Wavre, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Soldatou V, Soldatos A, Soldatos T. Examining Socioeconomic and Computational Aspects of Vaccine Pharmacovigilance. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:6576483. [PMID: 30911546 PMCID: PMC6399563 DOI: 10.1155/2019/6576483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccine pharmacovigilance relates to the detection of adverse events, their assessment, understanding, and prevention, and communication of their risk to the public. These activities can be tedious and long lasting for regulatory authority scientists and may be affected by community practices and public health policies. To better understand underlying challenges, we examined vaccine adverse event reports, assessed whether data-driven techniques can provide additional insight in safety characterization, and wondered on the impact of socioeconomic parameters. METHODS First, we integrated VAERS content with additional sources of drug and molecular data and examined reaction and outcome occurrence by using disproportionality metrics and enrichment analysis. Second, we reviewed social and behavioral determinants that may affect vaccine pharmacovigilance aspects. RESULTS We describe our experience in processing more than 607000 vaccine adverse event reports and report on the challenges to integrate more than 95500 VAERS medication narratives with structured information about drugs and other therapeutics or supplements. We found that only 12.6% of events were serious, while 8.97% referred to polypharmacy cases. Exacerbation of serious clinical patient outcomes was observed in 8.88% VAERS cases in which drugs may interact with vaccinations or with each other, regardless of vaccine activity interference. Furthermore, we characterized the symptoms reported in those cases and summarized reaction occurrence among vaccine-types. Last, we examine socioeconomic parameters and cost-management features, explore adverse event reporting trends, and highlight perspectives relating to the use and development of digital services, especially in the context of personalized and collaborative health-care. CONCLUSIONS This work provides an informative review of VAERS, identifies challenges and limitations in the processing of vaccine adverse event data, and calls for the better understanding of the socioeconomic landscape pertaining vaccine safety concerns. We expect that adoption of computational techniques for integrated safety assessment and interpretation is key not only to pharmacovigilance practice but also to stakeholders from the entire healthcare system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Soldatou
- Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, University of Thessaly, Greece
| | - Anastasios Soldatos
- Department of Business Administration, School of Business, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pillsbury AJ, Glover C, Jacoby P, Quinn HE, Fathima P, Cashman P, Leeb A, Blyth CC, Gold MS, Snelling T, Macartney KK. Active surveillance of 2017 seasonal influenza vaccine safety: an observational cohort study of individuals aged 6 months and older in Australia. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e023263. [PMID: 30341132 PMCID: PMC6196842 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To actively solicit adverse events experienced in the days following immunisation with quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine using Australia's near real-time, participant-based vaccine safety surveillance system, AusVaxSafety. DESIGN AND SETTING Observational cohort study conducted in 194 sentinel surveillance immunisation sites (primary care, hospital and community-based clinics) across Australia. PARTICIPANTS Individuals aged ≥6 months who received a routine seasonal influenza vaccine at a participating site (n=102 911) and responded to a survey (via short message service or email) sent 3 days after vaccination about adverse events experienced (n=73 892; 71.8%). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Near real-time and cumulative participant-reported rates of any adverse event, fever or medical attendance experienced within 3 days after vaccination overall, by brand, age, pregnancy status and concomitant vaccine receipt. RESULTS Participant median age was 57 years (range: 6 months to 102 years); 58.1% (n=42 869) were female and 2.7% (n=2018) were pregnant. Near real-time fast initial response cumulative summation and Bayesian analyses of weekly event rates did not demonstrate a safety signal. Children aged 6 months to 4 years had higher event rates (522/6180; 8.4%) compared with older ages; participants aged ≥65 years reported fewer events (1695/28 154; 6.0%). There were no clinically significant differences in safety between brands, by age group or overall. Cumulative data analysis demonstrated that concomitant vaccination was associated with increased rates of fever (2.1% vs 0.8%) and medical attendance (0.8% vs 0.4%), although all rates were low and did not exceed expected levels. CONCLUSIONS Novel, postmarketing AusVaxSafety surveillance demonstrated comparable and expected safety outcomes for the 2017 quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine brands used in Australia. These near real-time, participant-reported data are expected to encourage confidence in vaccine safety and promote uptake.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis J Pillsbury
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Catherine Glover
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Peter Jacoby
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Helen E Quinn
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Parveen Fathima
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Patrick Cashman
- Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Alan Leeb
- SmartVax, c/o Illawarra Medical Centre, Ballajura, Western Australia, Australia
- Illawarra Medical Centre, Ballajura, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Christopher C Blyth
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA, Department of Microbiology, QEII Medical Centre, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Michael S Gold
- Discipline of Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Thomas Snelling
- Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Public Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Kristine K Macartney
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Agoro OO, Kibira SW, Freeman JV, Fraser HSF. Barriers to the success of an electronic pharmacovigilance reporting system in Kenya: an evaluation three years post implementation. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2018; 25:627-634. [PMID: 29040656 PMCID: PMC6664850 DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocx102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Electronic pharmacovigilance reporting systems are being implemented in many developing countries in an effort to improve reporting rates. This study sought to establish the factors that acted as barriers to the success of an electronic pharmacovigilance reporting system in Kenya 3 years after its implementation. Materials and Methods Factors that could act as barriers to using electronic reporting systems were identified in a review of literature and then used to develop a survey questionnaire that was administered to pharmacists working in government hospitals in 6 counties in Kenya. Results The survey was completed by 103 out of the 115 targeted pharmacists (89.5%) and included free-text comments. The key factors identified as barriers were: unavailable, unreliable, or expensive Internet access; challenges associated with a hybrid system of paper and electronic reporting tools; and system usability issues. Coordination challenges at the national pharmacovigilance center and changes in the structure of health management in the country also had an impact on the success of the electronic reporting system. Discussion Different personal, organizational, infrastructural, and reporting system factors affect the success of electronic reporting systems in different ways, depending on the context. Context-specific formative evaluations are useful in establishing the performance of electronic reporting systems to identify problems and ensure that they achieve the desired objectives. Conclusion While several factors hindered the optimal use of the electronic pharmacovigilance reporting system in Kenya, all were considered modifiable. Effort should be directed toward tackling the identified issues in order to facilitate use and improve pharmacovigilance reporting rates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar O Agoro
- Ministry of Health, Medical Department, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Jenny V Freeman
- Yorkshire Centre for Health Informatics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Hamish S F Fraser
- Yorkshire Centre for Health Informatics, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Cashman P, Macartney K, Khandaker G, King C, Gold M, Durrheim DN. Participant-centred active surveillance of adverse events following immunisation: a narrative review. Int Health 2017; 9:164-176. [PMID: 28582563 PMCID: PMC5881255 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihx019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of active, participant-centred monitoring of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) is increasingly recognised as a valuable adjunct to traditional passive AEFI surveillance. The databases OVID Medline and OVID Embase were searched to identify all published articles referring to AEFI. Only studies which sought participant response after vaccination were included. A total of 6060 articles published since the year 2000 were identified. After the application of screening inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 articles describing 23 post-marketing AEFI systems were identified. Most countries had a single system: Ghana, Japan, China, Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, Brazil, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Cameroon except the USA (2), Canada (4) and Australia (6). Data were collected from participants with and without AEFI in all studies reviewed with denominator data enabling AEFI rate calculations. All studies considered either a single vaccine or specified vaccines or were time limited except one Australian system, which provides continuous automated participant-centred active surveillance of all vaccines. Post-marketing surveillance systems using solicited patient feedback are emerging as a novel AEFI monitoring tool. A number of exploratory systems utilising e-technology have been developed and their potential for scaling up and application in low and middle income countries deserves further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Cashman
- Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, Australia.,University of Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Kristine Macartney
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia.,Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Gulam Khandaker
- Discipline of Child and Adolescent Health, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia.,Marie Bashir Institute for Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity (MBI), University of Sydney, Australia.,Asian Institute of Disability and Development (AIDD), University of South Asia, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Catherine King
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michael Gold
- University of Adelaide, Discipline pf Paediatrics, Women's and Children's Health Network, Adelaide, Australia
| | - David N Durrheim
- Hunter New England Population Health, Newcastle, Australia.,Hunter Medical Research Institute, 1 Kookaburra Circuit, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Rath B, Conrad T, Myles P, Alchikh M, Ma X, Hoppe C, Tief F, Chen X, Obermeier P, Kisler B, Schweiger B. Influenza and other respiratory viruses: standardizing disease severity in surveillance and clinical trials. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2017; 15:545-568. [PMID: 28277820 PMCID: PMC7103706 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2017.1295847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Influenza-Like Illness is a leading cause of hospitalization in children. Disease burden due to influenza and other respiratory viral infections is reported on a population level, but clinical scores measuring individual changes in disease severity are urgently needed. Areas covered: We present a composite clinical score allowing individual patient data analyses of disease severity based on systematic literature review and WHO-criteria for uncomplicated and complicated disease. The 22-item ViVI Disease Severity Score showed a normal distribution in a pediatric cohort of 6073 children aged 0-18 years (mean age 3.13; S.D. 3.89; range: 0 to 18.79). Expert commentary: The ViVI Score was correlated with risk of antibiotic use as well as need for hospitalization and intensive care. The ViVI Score was used to track children with influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, human metapneumovirus, human rhinovirus, and adenovirus infections and is fully compliant with regulatory data standards. The ViVI Disease Severity Score mobile application allows physicians to measure disease severity at the point-of care thereby taking clinical trials to the next level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Rath
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany.,c Division of Epidemiology and Public Health , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK
| | - Tim Conrad
- d Department of Mathematics and Computer Science , Freie Universität Berlin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Puja Myles
- c Division of Epidemiology and Public Health , University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK
| | - Maren Alchikh
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany
| | - Xiaolin Ma
- b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany.,e National Reference Centre for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses , Robert Koch Institute , Berlin , Germany
| | - Christian Hoppe
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,d Department of Mathematics and Computer Science , Freie Universität Berlin , Berlin , Germany
| | - Franziska Tief
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany
| | - Xi Chen
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany
| | - Patrick Obermeier
- a Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases , Vienna Vaccine Safety Initiative , Berlin , Germany.,b Department of Pediatrics , Charité University Medical Center , Berlin , Germany
| | - Bron Kisler
- f Clinical Data Standards Interchange Consortium (CDISC) , Austin , TX , USA
| | - Brunhilde Schweiger
- e National Reference Centre for Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses , Robert Koch Institute , Berlin , Germany
| |
Collapse
|