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Hankins JS, Brambilla D, Potter MB, Kutlar A, Gibson R, King AA, Baumann AA, Melvin C, Gordeuk VR, Hsu LL, Nwosu C, Porter JS, Alberts NM, Badawy SM, Simon J, Glassberg JA, Lottenberg R, DiMartino L, Jacobs S, Fernandez ME, Bosworth HB, Klesges LM, Shah N. A multilevel mHealth intervention boosts adherence to hydroxyurea in individuals with sickle cell disease. Blood Adv 2023; 7:7190-7201. [PMID: 37738155 PMCID: PMC10698253 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Hydroxyurea reduces sickle cell disease (SCD) complications, but medication adherence is low. We tested 2 mobile health (mHealth) interventions targeting determinants of low adherence among patients (InCharge Health) and low prescribing among providers (HU Toolbox) in a multi-center, non-randomized trial of individuals with SCD ages 15-45. We compared the percentage of days covered (PDC), labs, healthcare utilization, and self-reported pain over 24 weeks of intervention and 12 weeks post-study with a 24-week preintervention interval. We enrolled 293 patients (51% male; median age 27.5 years, 86.8% HbSS/HbSβ0-thalassemia). The mean change in PDC among 235 evaluable subjects increased (39.7% to 56.0%; P < 0.001) and sustained (39.7% to 51.4%, P < 0.001). Mean HbF increased (10.95% to 12.78%; P = 0.03). Self-reported pain frequency reduced (3.54 to 3.35 events/year; P = 0.041). InCharge Health was used ≥1 day by 199 of 235 participants (84.7% implementation; median usage: 17% study days; IQR: 4.8-45.8%). For individuals with ≥1 baseline admission for pain, admissions per 24 weeks declined from baseline through 24 weeks (1.97 to 1.48 events/patient, P = 0.0045) and weeks 25-36 (1.25 events/patient, P = 0.0015). PDC increased with app use (P < 0.001), with the greatest effect in those with private insurance (P = 0.0078), older subjects (P = 0.033), and those with lower pain interference (P = 0.0012). Of the 89 providers (49 hematologists, 36 advanced care providers, 4 unreported), only 11.2% used HU Toolbox ≥1/month on average. This use did not affect change in PDC. Tailoring mHealth solutions to address barriers to hydroxyurea adherence can potentially improve adherence and provide clinical benefits. A definitive randomized study is warranted. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04080167.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane S Hankins
- Department of Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
- Center for Sickle Cell Disease, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | | | - Michael B Potter
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA
| | - Abdullah Kutlar
- Center for Blood Disorders, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Robert Gibson
- Center for Blood Disorders, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA
| | - Allison A King
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Ana A Baumann
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Cathy Melvin
- Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Victor R Gordeuk
- Sickle Cell Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Lewis L Hsu
- Sickle Cell Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Chinonyelum Nwosu
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Jerlym S Porter
- Department of Psychology and Biobehavioral Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
| | - Nicole M Alberts
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sherif M Badawy
- Division of Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplant, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL
| | - Jena Simon
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Jeffrey A Glassberg
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | | | | | - Sara Jacobs
- RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
| | - Maria E Fernandez
- Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Hayden B Bosworth
- Department of Population Health Studies, Duke University, Durham, NC
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, NC
| | - Lisa M Klesges
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
| | - Nirmish Shah
- Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Duke University, Durham, NC
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Issom DZ, Hardy-Dessources MD, Romana M, Hartvigsen G, Lovis C. Toward a Conversational Agent to Support the Self-Management of Adults and Young Adults With Sickle Cell Disease: Usability and Usefulness Study. Front Digit Health 2021; 3:600333. [PMID: 34713087 PMCID: PMC8521934 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2021.600333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common genetic blood disorder in the world and affects millions of people. With aging, patients encounter an increasing number of comorbidities that can be acute, chronic, and potentially lethal (e.g., pain, multiple organ damages, lung disease). Comprehensive and preventive care for adults with SCD faces disparities (e.g., shortage of well-trained providers). Consequently, many patients do not receive adequate treatment, as outlined by evidence-based guidelines, and suffer from mistrust, stigmatization or neglect. Thus, adult patients often avoid necessary care, seek treatment only as a last resort, and rely on self-management to maintain control over the course of the disease. Hopefully, self-management positively impacts health outcomes. However, few patients possess the required skills (e.g., disease-specific knowledge, self-efficacy), and many lack motivation for effective self-care. Health coaching has emerged as a new approach to enhance patients' self-management and support health behavior changes. Recent studies have demonstrated that conversational agents (chatbots) could effectively support chronic patients' self-management needs, improve self-efficacy, encourage behavior changes, and reduce disease-severity. To date, the use of chatbots to support SCD self-management remains largely under-researched. Consequently, we developed a high-fidelity prototype of a fully automated health coaching chatbot, following patient-important requirements and preferences collected during our previous work. We recruited a small convenience sample of adults with SCD to examine the usability and perceived usefulness of the system. Participants completed a post-test survey using the System Usability Scale and the Usefulness Scale for Patient Information Material questionnaire. Thirty-three patients participated. The majority (64%) was affected by the most clinically severe SCD genotypes (Hb SS, HbSβ0). Most participants (94%) rated the chatbots as easy and fun to use, while 88% perceived it as useful support for patient empowerment. In the qualitative phase, 72% of participants expressed their enthusiasm using the chatbot, and 82% emphasized its ability to improve their knowledge about self-management. Findings suggest that chatbots could be used to promote the acquisition of recommended health behaviors and self-care practices related to the prevention of the main symptoms of SCD. Further work is needed to refine the system, and to assess clinical validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David-Zacharie Issom
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Marc Romana
- INSERM U1134 Biologie Intégrée du Globule Rouge, Paris, France
| | - Gunnar Hartvigsen
- Department of Computer Science, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Christian Lovis
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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