Self-management and skills acquisition in boys with haemophilia

Development and validation of the Child Hemophilia Treatment Experience Measure: A new observer-reported outcome measure

INTRODUCTION

The Child Hemophilia Treatment Experience Measure (Child Hemo-TEM) was developed to capture the treatment burden experience of children with haemophilia (CwH).

AIM

Describe the development of this novel haemophilia-specific measure.

METHODS

Interviews were conducted with clinical experts, CwH and CwH's caregivers. Interviews were analysed according to adapted grounded theory principles. Based on the analysis, a preliminary measure was developed and debriefed. Psychometric analyses were performed according to an a priori analysis plan using data collected in a cross-sectional web survey and a final measure was generated.

RESULTS

Interviews with four clinical experts, 25 CwH ages 8 to <12 years, and 25 caregivers of CwH <12 years were conducted. Concepts endorsed by ≥10% of CwH and caregivers were: adherence, ease of use, emotional impacts, physical impacts, treatment concerns, and interference with daily life. Cognitive debriefing assessments were conducted to ensure participant understanding and item relevance. Caregivers found the measure to be understandable, comprehensive, and relevant. However, several issues with CwH completing the measure were identified and it was decided to only develop an observer-reported outcome version. Data for psychometric validation was collected in a web survey (N = 187). Item reduction dropped 12 items. Factor analysis generated a single, 7-item, internally consistent (α = .855) factor, which consisted of items covering all relevant a priori concepts. The majority of a priori convergent and all known groups validity hypotheses were confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings provide evidence that the Child Hemo-TEM is a brief, well-designed, and valid and reliable measure of haemophilia treatment burden.

Teenagers and Adolescents with Hemophilia-Need for a Specific Approach

Adolescents with hemophilia are a patient population with special requirements, having to manage their condition alongside the typical challenges of adolescence. Given the psychosocial impact of hemophilia and a desire to fit in with non-hemophilic peers, they may perceive treatment as more of a burden than a benefit. This can result in low adherence and a high risk of hemophilia-related complications. Hemophilia management has changed over time. To best inform shared decision-making with adolescent patients and their families, healthcare professionals must consider all the currently available evidence, highlighting treatment benefits as appropriate. They should also appreciate the requirements of all adolescents affected by hemophilia, including individuals with non-severe disease and girls/women. We discuss specific issues relating to the management of adolescents with hemophilia: prevention and management of bleeds, treatment adherence, joint health and physical activity, and other health-related issues. A multidisciplinary approach is advocated, and the potential role of digital technology in helping to equip patients with self-management skills to fully engage with treatment is considered. Currently, available hemophilia management generally enables adolescents with hemophilia to lead normal lives, participating in physical activities while maintaining good joint health. However, more work is required to help address both actual and perceived limitations.

florio® HAEMO: A Longitudinal Survey of Patient Preference, Adherence and Wearable Functionality in Central Europe

INTRODUCTION

florio® HAEMO is a hemophilia treatment monitoring application (app) offering activity tracking and wearable device connectivity. Its use might support everyday activities for people with hemophilia. The aim of this study was to evaluate user satisfaction, long-term usage and the impact on data entry when pairing a wearable with a hemophilia monitoring app.

METHODS

This is a follow-up of a two-part user survey conducted in Central Europe. People with hemophilia and parents/caregivers of children with hemophilia using florio HAEMO and who completed part one were invited to complete a second online questionnaire at least 4 months later.

RESULTS

Fifty participants (83.3%) who completed part one of the survey continued to use the florio HAEMO app and completed part two. Of 14 participants who chose to use the app with a wearable, more than half (57.1%) were aged between 13 and 25 years. Overall, the results demonstrated that florio HAEMO is very easy or rather easy to use, especially for individuals pairing the app with a wearable. Most people using a wearable indicated that florio HAEMO was very or rather important in bringing certainty to daily activities (85.7%). Notably, 14 of 36 (38.9%) non-wearable users indicated that they would prefer to pair the app with a wearable in the future.

CONCLUSIONS

Adherence to the florio HAEMO app is maintained over an extended period of use. Pairing the app with a wearable might enable easier access to app features, increase data entry motivation and provide more certainty about daily activities for people with hemophilia.

Adult People with Hemophilia A Have Low Annualized Bleeding Rate, However the Arthropathy Remains a Burden: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Congenital Hemophilia A is a complex disease to treat, especially in places without access to hemophilia treatment centers (HTCs). The primary aim of this study was to analyze the outcomes of a cohort of adult people with congenital hemophilia A in an HTC localized in the Bajio region of Mexico. Observational retrospective study of a cohort of 82 adult people with congenital hemophilia A treated in a tertiary-level hospital in the Bajio region of Mexico, between June 2022 and June 2023. The median age of the patients was 29.5 years, 60.9% with severe hemophilia A, 53.6% were under some factor VIII prophylaxis regimen, and 52.4% had home therapy. The median annualized bleeding rate (ABR) was one bleed/year (IQR 0-3 bleeds/year) including a median of zero joint bleeds/year (IQR 0-3 bleeds/year). The presence of high-response inhibitors was detected in 8.5%, with an overall incidence of inhibitors of 14.6% of the cohort. Univariate analysis showed that inhibitors (OR 21.10; CI 95% 1.20-370.3; P = 0.03) and clinical arthropathy (OR 6.14; CI 95% 2.13-17.68; P = 0.001) were significantly higher in severe hemophilia. Clinically significant arthropathy was found in 71.9% of patients. Ultrasonography of the target joints showed that mainly cartilage degeneration was affected. Blood transfusion-associated viral infections were detected in 10.9% of patients. In our HTC, current treatment with hemostatic agents allows adequate control of ABR with acceptable inhibitor rates. However, we still have joint damage in most patients, which is partly explained by the fact that prophylaxis was introduced only in recent years.

Understanding how children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience living with pain, pain management and services: a meta-ethnography

Background

Childhood chronic pain is a widespread public health issue. We need to understand how children with chronic pain and their families experience chronic pain and its management.

Objectives

To conduct a meta-ethnography on the experiences and perceptions of children with chronic pain and their families of chronic pain, treatments and services. We investigated how children and their families conceptualise and live with chronic pain; what they think of and want from health and social care services; and what they conceptualise as 'good' pain management.

Design

Meta-ethnography with stakeholder and patient and public involvement in the design, search and sampling strategies, analysis and dissemination. Review strategy: comprehensive searches of 12 bibliographic databases and supplementary searches in September 2022, to identify qualitative studies with children aged 3 months to 18 years with chronic non-cancer pain and their families. We included studies with rich explanatory data; appraised methodological limitations using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool; and extracted, analysed and synthesised studies' findings. We used Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-confidence in the evidence from reviews of qualitative research to assess confidence in review findings. We integrated findings with 14 Cochrane treatment effectiveness reviews on children's chronic non-cancer pain.

Results

We synthesised 43 studies sampled from 170 eligible studies reported in 182 publications. Studies had minor (n = 24) or moderate (n = 19) methodological limitations. Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation-confidence in the evidence from reviews of qualitative research assessments of review findings were high (n = 22), moderate (n = 13) or very low confidence (n = 1). Moderate and severe chronic pain had profound adverse impacts on family members' well-being, autonomy and self-identity; family dynamics; parenting approaches; friendships and socialising; children's education and parental paid employment. Most children and families sought a biomedical cure for pain. They experienced difficulties seeking and receiving support from health services to manage pain and its impacts. Consequently, some families repeatedly visited health services. Cochrane reviews of intervention effects and trials did not measure some outcomes important to children and families, for example effects of pain on the family and resolution of pain. Reviews have mainly neglected a biopsychosocial approach when considering how interventions work.

Limitations

There were limited data on common pain conditions like migraine/headache, abdominal pain; some rarer conditions; children with learning disabilities and under-fives; siblings; fathers and experiences of treatments/services. We excluded studies on cancer, end-of-life pain and experiences of healthcare professionals.

Conclusions

We developed the family-centred theory of children's chronic pain management, integrating health and social care with community support.

Future work

Future research should explore families' experiences of services and treatments, including opioids, and social care services; experiences of children with autism and learning disabilities, under 5 years old and with certain common pain conditions. We need development and testing of family-centred interventions and services.

Study registration

This study is registered as PROSPERO (CRD42019161455) and Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (623).

Funding

This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR128671) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 17. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Unresolved hemostasis issues in haemophilia

Despite rapid technological advancement in factor and nonfactor products in the prevention and treatment of bleeding in haemophilia patients, it is imperative that we acknowledge gaps in our understanding of how hemostasis is achieved. The authors will briefly review three unresolved issues in persons with haemophilia (PwH) focusing on the forgotten function that red blood cells play in hemostasis, the critical role of extravascular (outside circulation) FIX in hemostasis in the context of unmodified and extended half-life FIX products and finally on the role that skeletal muscle myosin plays in prothrombinase assembly and subsequent thrombin generation that could mitigate breakthrough muscle hematomas.

A meta-ethnography of how children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience and understand their condition, pain services, and treatments

BACKGROUND

Chronic non-cancer pain in childhood is widespread, affecting 20% to 35% of children and young people worldwide. For a sizeable number of children, chronic non-cancer pain has considerable negative impacts on their lives and quality of life, and leads to increased use of healthcare services and medication. In many countries, there are few services for managing children's chronic non-cancer pain, with many services being inadequate. Fourteen Cochrane Reviews assessing the effects of pharmacological, psychological, psychosocial, dietary or physical activity interventions for managing children's chronic non-cancer pain identified a lack of high-quality evidence to inform pain management. To design and deliver services and interventions that meet the needs of patients and their families, we need to understand how children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families experience pain, their views of services and treatments for chronic pain, and which outcomes are important to them.

OBJECTIVES

1. To synthesise qualitative studies that examine the experiences and perceptions of children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families regarding chronic non-cancer pain, treatments and services to inform the design and delivery of health and social care services, interventions and future research. 2. To explore whether our review findings help to explain the results of Cochrane Reviews of intervention effects of treatments for children's chronic non-cancer pain. 3. To determine if programme theories and outcomes of interventions match children and their families' views of desired treatments and outcomes. 4. To use our findings to inform the selection and design of patient-reported outcome measures for use in chronic non-cancer pain studies and interventions and care provision to children and their families. The review questions are: 1. How do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families conceptualise chronic pain? 2. How do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families live with chronic pain? 3. What do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families think of how health and social care services respond to and manage their child's chronic pain? 4. What do children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families conceptualise as 'good' chronic pain management and what do they want to achieve from chronic pain management interventions and services?

SEARCH METHODS

Review strategy: we comprehensively searched 12 bibliographic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and grey literature sources, and conducted supplementary searches in 2020. We updated the database searches in September 2022.

SELECTION CRITERIA

To identify published and unpublished qualitative research with children aged 3 months to 18 years with chronic non-cancer pain and their families focusing on their perceptions, experiences and views of chronic pain, services and treatments. The final inclusion criteria were agreed with a patient and public involvement group of children and young people with chronic non-cancer pain and their families.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We conducted a qualitative evidence synthesis using meta-ethnography, a seven-phase, systematic, interpretive, inductive methodology that takes into account the contexts and meanings of the original studies. We assessed the richness of eligible studies and purposively sampled rich studies ensuring they addressed the review questions. Cochrane Qualitative Methods Implementation Group guidance guided sampling. We assessed the methodological limitations of studies using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. We extracted data on study aims, focus, characteristics and conceptual findings from study reports using NVivo software. We compared these study data to determine how the studies related to one another and grouped studies by pain conditions for synthesis. We used meta-ethnography to synthesise each group of studies separately before synthesising them all together. Analysis and interpretation of studies involved children with chronic non-cancer pain and their families and has resulted in theory to inform service design and delivery. Sampling, organising studies for synthesis, and analysis and interpretation involved our patient and public involvement group who contributed throughout the conduct of the review. We used the GRADE-CERQual (Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research) approach to assess our confidence in each review finding. We used a matrix approach to integrate our findings with existing Cochrane Reviews on treatment effectiveness for children's chronic non-cancer pain.

MAIN RESULTS

We synthesised 43 studies sampled from 170 eligible studies reported in 182 publications. Included studies involved 633 participants. GRADE-CERQual assessments of findings were mostly high (n = 21, 58%) or moderate (n = 12, 33%) confidence with three (8%) low or very low confidence. Poorly managed, moderate or severe chronic non-cancer pain had profound adverse impacts on family dynamics and relationships; family members' emotions, well-being, autonomy and sense of self-identity; parenting strategies; friendships and socialising; children's education and future employment prospects; and parental employment. Most children and parents understood chronic non-cancer pain as having an underlying biological cause and wanted curative treatment. However, families had difficulties seeking and obtaining support from health services to manage their child's pain and its impacts. Children and parents felt that healthcare professionals did not always listen to their experiences and expertise, or believe the child's pain. Some families repeatedly visited health services seeking a diagnosis and cure. Over time, some children and families gave up hope of effective treatment. Outcomes measured within trials and Cochrane Reviews of intervention effects did not include some outcomes of importance to children and families, including impacts of pain on the whole family and absence of pain. Cochrane Reviews have mainly neglected a holistic biopsychosocial approach, which specifies the interrelatedness of biological, psychological and social aspects of illness, when selecting outcome measures and considering how chronic pain management interventions work.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

We had high or moderate confidence in the evidence contributing to most review findings. Further research, especially into families' experiences of treatments and services, could strengthen the evidence for low or very low confidence findings. Future research should also explore families' experiences in low- to middle-income contexts; of pain treatments including opioid use in children, which remains controversial; and of social care services. We need development and testing of family-centred interventions and services acceptable to families. Future trials of children's chronic non-cancer pain interventions should include family-centred outcomes.

Recommendations for the Implementation of the Self-Administration of Alpha-1 Antitrypsin

Purpose

Administration of exogenous alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) is the only specific therapy for the management of pulmonary morbidity in patients with AAT deficiency. It requires weekly or biweekly intravenous infusions, which may impact patient independence and quality of life. Self-administration of AAT therapy is an alternative to reduce the burden for patients who require AAT therapy. We presented herein experts' recommendations for the implementation of a program for the self-administration of AAT.

Methods

This project was conducted using a modified nominal group technique and was undertaken in two online meetings involving the participation of 25 experts: specialists in pulmonology (n=17), nurses (n=5) and hospital pharmacists (n=3).

Results

The following issues were discussed, and several recommendations were agreed upon on the following topics: a) patient profile and clinical evaluation, establishing selection criteria that should include clinical as well as social criteria; b) role of health care professionals, suggested roles for specialists in pulmonology, nurses, and hospital pharmacists; c) training by the nurse, including recommendations before initiating the training and the content of the training sessions; and d) logistic issues and follow-up, adherence, and patient support.

Conclusion

We expect this proposal to increase awareness of this therapeutic alternative and facilitate the implementation of self-administration programs, thus contributing to optimizing the patient experience with AAT therapy. Further research on the outcomes of these programs, especially from the patient perspective, will also help to improve their design and implementation.

Barriers to prophylactic treatment among patients with haemophilia A in Shandong Province, China: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Haemophilia A is a rare, hereditary haemorrhagic disease that manifests as induced spontaneous bleeding and leads to disability or premature death in severe cases. Prophylactic treatment is optimal for patients to prevent uncontrolled bleeding and reduce the severity of the injury. However, little is known about the use of prophylactic treatment among patients with haemophilia A in China, especially barriers that predispose them to low or non-adherence. In this study, we explore the barriers to the prophylactic treatment of patients with haemophilia A.

METHOD

We used personal interviews and focus groups to collect the data and analysed the data through thematic analysis. Purposive sampling was employed to recruit our participants. We continued recruiting participants until data saturation was reached from the thematic analysis. Ultimately, we obtained 37 participants, among whom 19 participated in personal interviews and 18 participated in focus groups (i.e., 3 focus groups with 6 participants each).

RESULTS

Three themes and nine subthemes were identified from the thematic analysis. Nine subthemes (i.e., perceived barriers) emerged from the analysis, which were further clustered into three themes: (1) poor primary health care, (2) inadequate financial support, and (3) a lack of patient-centred care.

CONCLUSION

The findings presented in this descriptive qualitative study offer a unique view of Chinese patients with haemophilia A and their barriers to prophylactic treatment. Our findings not only provide an in-depth understanding of barriers to prophylactic treatment encountered by Chinese patients with haemophilia A but also address the urgent need to strengthen primary care, provide adequate financial support, and establish patient-centred care for these suffering patients.

Supporting the parent-to-child transfer of self-management responsibility for chronic kidney disease: A qualitative study

INTRODUCTION

As children with long-term conditions (LTCs) mature, they are usually expected to assume responsibility from their parents for self-management of their condition. Little is known about what supports families with this handover of responsibility, including the role of healthcare professionals (HCPs). This study aimed to explore what supports young people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to assume self-management responsibility and parents to relinquish control.

METHODS

A qualitative study, using a grounded theory approach was conducted. Individual and dyadic interviews and focus groups were carried out with 16 young people aged 13-17 years old with CKD, 13 parents, and 20 HCPs. Participants were recruited from two UK children's renal units.

FINDINGS

Building and maintaining trust, fostering positivity, learning from mistakes, forming partnerships and individualized support, facilitated the transfer of self-management responsibility. However, HCPs' focus on developing partnerships with young people meant some parents felt excluded, highlighting uncertainty around whether support should be child- or family-centred. Although tailored support was identified as critical, aspects of local service provision appeared to impact on HCPs' capacity to implement individualized approaches.

CONCLUSION

This study has identified what supports the handover of responsibility, and, importantly, HCPs' current, and potential role in helping young people to assume responsibility for managing their LTC. Further research is needed to explore how HCPs' involvement balances child- and family-centred care, and how HCPs can adopt personalized, strengths-based approaches to help ensure the support that families receive is tailored to their individual needs.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Patient and public involvement was integrated throughout the study, with young adults with CKD and parents who had a child with CKD actively involved in the study's design and delivery.

Psychological complications among patients with congenital bleeding disorders

Congenital bleeding disorders (CBDs), including inherited platelet function disorders and rare and common bleeding disorders, are a heterogeneous group of bleeding disorders with a wide range of clinical presentations, including psychological complications. Due to the chronic nature of CBDs, psychological complications are relatively common in these patients, which can affect treatment adherence, quality of life, and even the frequency of bleeding episodes. Chronic pain causes many psychological problems in CBDs, disrupting their social interactions, affecting all aspects of their lives, including their emotional functioning and behavior, and eventually leading to social exclusion. About one-third of patients with severe hemophilia A suffer from anxiety, 64% from depression, and 60% from other minor psychological complications such as withdrawal/depression, anxiety/depression, attention problems, and emotional problems. Anxiety, depression, and uncontrolled pain interfere with treatment adherence. For this reason, psychological interventions are needed in people with CBDs. Psychological interventions increase quality of life and treatment adherence. Therefore, early recognition of psychological complications in CBD patients may increase treatment adherence, leading to a reduction in bleeding episodes and thus an improvement in quality of life.

The mediating role of Courageous coping in the relations between spirituality and social support with resilience among adolescents with hemophilia

In addition to physical disorders, people with hemophilia face complex psychological problems. Hence, protective factors such as coping strategies, social support, and spirituality to improve psychological health should be determined. This study examined the role of courageous coping as a mediator in the interrelationships between spirituality as well as social support and resilience among adolescents with hemophilia. In this descriptive-analytical study, the participants were 372 adolescents with hemophilia aged 11-21 years. Connor-Davidson resilience scale, Jalowiec Coping scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, and spirituality scale were the instruments used in this study. The analysis results of Pearson correlation revealed a significant positive relationship between spirituality as well as social support and resilience. Also, it was determined that courageous coping is a thorough mediator between spirituality and resilience. The mediating role of courageous coping did not reach meaningful levels between social support and resilience, meaning that zero was included in bootstrap interval, CI 95% (β =.026, CI [-.002, .089]). Social support, adopting a spiritual strategy, and using coping strategies played a crucial role among the adolescents to promote their level of resilience to cope with hemophilia.

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Therapy in Patients with Alpha 1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: Perspectives from a Registry Study and Practical Considerations for Self-Administration During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Alpha 1 Antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is a hereditary condition characterized by low serum Alpha 1 Antitrypsin (AAT) levels and a predisposition towards early-onset emphysema. Infusion of AAT is the only disease-modifying therapy that can sufficiently raise plasma AAT levels above the putative protective threshold and reduce the decline in lung density loss. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and registry studies support the clinical efficacy of AAT therapy in slowing the progression of AATD-related emphysema and improving survival outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted physicians to develop additional strategies for delivering AAT therapy, which are not only more convenient for the patient, but are “COVID-19 friendly”, thereby reducing the risk of exposing these vulnerable patients. Intravenous (IV) self-administration of AAT therapy is likely to be beneficial in certain subgroups of patients with AATD and can remove the need for weekly hospital visits, thereby improving independence and well-being. Increasing the awareness of self-administration in AATD through the development of formal guidelines and training programs is required among both physicians and patients and will play an essential role, especially post-COVID-19, in encouraging physicians to consider self-administration for AATD in suitable patients. This review summarizes the benefits of AAT therapy on the clinical endpoints of mortality and quality of life (QoL) and discusses the benefits of self-administration therapy compared with conventional therapy administered by a healthcare professional. In addition, this review highlights the challenges of providing AAT therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic and the potential considerations for its implementation thereafter.

Progression of self-management learning experiences of young adults following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: A qualitative study

PURPOSE

Hematological diseases are among the most common forms of cancer that can affect young adults. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a common intervention to treat blood-related cancers such as leukemia and lymphoma. Allogeneic stem cell transplants can provoke many acute and chronic symptoms. Young adult cancer survivors are expected to develop expertise to self-manage these symptoms. However, learning self-management can be quite challenging for young adults. This paper aims to describe the symptoms self-management learning experiences of young adults following an allogeneic stem cell transplant.

METHOD

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted to describe self-management learning experiences of young adults (18-39 years old) following an allogeneic stem cell transplant. Semi-structured interviews were conducted (n = 7, mean age 26 years old, mean time since allogeneic stem cell transplant was 14,71 months). Iterative qualitative content analysis was performed.

RESULTS

Participants who had undergone an allogeneic stem cell transplant described learning self-management as a progressive process, with expertise having to be developed through experience. Certain factors could positively or negatively affect the learning process and hence the development of this self-management expertise. With time, these young adults developed interoceptive ability and body awareness related to their symptoms, which influenced their self-management.

CONCLUSIONS

Following an allogeneic stem cell transplant, young adults need to be supported during their survivorship to develop self-management expertise. Nurses must adapt care according to patients' level of expertise to promote autonomy, development of interoceptive ability, and acquisition of self-management skills.

Improving the Lives of Patients with Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency

Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency (AATD) is a rare genetic condition that predisposes patients to lung and liver disease and is often underdiagnosed due to incomplete diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Improvements in physician awareness have been made, but better strategies for both diagnosis and management are still required. The only current disease-modifying therapy for AATD is the infusion of the missing Alpha-1 Antitrypsin (AAT) protein, which can slow progression of emphysema. However, AAT treatment can impact patient freedom and quality of life due to the need for weekly intravenous infusions. A symposium was held to discuss patient-centric aspects of care that have impact on the lives of patients with AATD, including exacerbations of their lung disease, self-administration of intravenous AAT therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation. Intravenous self-infusion of drugs is an established treatment strategy for patients with a variety of conditions and can improve patient quality of life, freedom and mental well-being. Experience from these areas show that patients typically manage their treatment well and without complications. When applied to AATD, training patients to self-infuse therapy can be successful, but formal guidelines would be beneficial. In addition to pharmacological intervention, individualized pulmonary rehabilitation, exercise and educational programs can encourage health-enhancing patient behavior and further improve patient quality of life. However, differences in skeletal muscle adaptations to pulmonary rehabilitation exercise regimens have been observed between patients with AATD and non-AATD COPD, highlighting the need to develop training programs specifically designed for patients with AATD.

Therapeutic metamorphosis: Findings from a grounded theory study of the impact of low-dose prophylaxis in children living with haemophilia in India

INTRODUCTION

The clinical benefits of administering low-dose prophylaxis in children with haemophilia are well established. Qualitative research describing the impact of prophylaxis on quality of life is comparatively rare in this area.

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate in children the experiences of living and becoming adjusted to haemophilia before prophylaxis, by collecting information directly from children and their parents or guardians. A further goal was to evaluate whether and how the use of low-dose prophylaxis impacts the disease experience.

METHODS

A grounded theory design according to Strauss and Corbin was chosen for this study. The study was conducted in the Haemophilia Treatment Centre at Aluva, Kerala, India and involved nineteen participants (children, mothers, father and grandmothers) who were selected by theoretical sampling. Data were collected through audiotaped interviews, which included demographic and semi-structured interview questions. Data were coded and evolved into concepts and categories that lead to the emergence of theory.

RESULTS

The study resulted in the construction of 'Theory of Therapeutic Metamorphosis'. It comprised two stages: stage of bondage (enduring hardships), experienced during the absence of prophylaxis or on-demand treatment and stage of freedom (deliverance/reductions, energized life/improvements and behaviour to seek prophylaxis) experienced during low-dose prophylaxis.

CONCLUSION

This study illustrates the challenges faced by children with haemophilia and their families and the positive impact of low-dose prophylaxis. Further prospective research studies are required to add to the growing knowledge in this area.

Haemophiliac adolescents' perspectives of resilience: A qualitative study based on the resilience in illness model

A qualitative study was conducted to investigate the concept of resilience among Iranian haemophilic adolescents based on the Haase's Resilience in Illness Model (RIM). Purposive sampling was used to recruit 15 participants comprising haemophilic adolescents and their parents in the study. The data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews and analysed using direct content analysis. The themes and categories were defensive coping (emotive coping, evasive coping), courageous coping (optimism, constructive approach, seeking support), derived meaning (spiritual strategy, hope) and social support (support from family, friends and treatment teams). Social support, adopting a spiritual strategy and self-management behaviours played an important role among the adolescents in improving their level of resilience and skills to cope with haemophilia.

The Perspectives of Adolescents and Young Adults on Adherence to Prophylaxis in Hemophilia: A Qualitative Study

PURPOSE

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with severe hemophilia use prophylaxis that requires a high level of adherence. The present study aimed to explore the underlying reason for adherence and non-adherence to prophylaxis in hemophilia from the perspective of AYAs.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A qualitative study in Dutch AYAs with hemophilia (14-25 years) using prophylaxis was executed. Focus group interviews and individual interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed using an iterative process. Member checking in three respondents was used to validate the potential model.

RESULTS

A total of 21 interviews were performed. Parental support decreased when AYAs gained more treatment responsibilities, which resulted in a higher risk for non-adherence. AYAs were weighing their potential bleeding risk per activity based on the wish to do what they prefer while also wanting to simultaneously feel safe. When bleeding with low impact on their daily life occurred, or when bleeding remained absent, AYAs felt safe and the perceived need for prophylaxis decreased.

CONCLUSION

The level of treatment responsibility per AYA and estimated risks per activity were the two main underlying reasons for (non-)adherence.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

We suggest using a conversation technique to discuss adherence, especially during bleeding assessment visits.

Health education and empowerment in adult patients with haemophilia

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the degree of education and empowerment of the patients of the Haemophilia Unit at 'La Paz' University Hospital (Madrid, Spain).Materials and methods: Haemophilic patients attending routine haemophilia consultations were asked to complete a questionnaire with a view to determining the patient´s perceived knowledge about the disease; their ability to make individual and group decisions; and whether the frequency of their hospital visits could be reduced.Results: Patients were shown to have ample knowledge about the disease. Knowledge had been acquired chiefly through personal experience and from the interaction with healthcare providers. Nearly 70% of patients felt capable of making decisions on matters affecting their health. Over half of the patients considered that their hospital visits could be reduced if they had more information. Patients experiencing the largest number of bleeding episodes were those showing the highest levels of empowerment. Over half the patients were satisfied with the institutional support they received.Conclusion: These patients with haemophilia are in general reasonably empowered on account of their personal experiences and their interaction with the healthcare providers. Current widespread access to information makes it easier to step up educational interventions in patients at lower haemorrhagic risk.

Adherence to prophylactic haemophilic treatment in young patients transitioning to adult care: A qualitative review

Recombinant prophylactic treatment (PTX) has greatly improved morbidity, mortality and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with severe haemophilia. Yet, treatment adherence appears suboptimal in adolescents and young adults with haemophilia (YWH). Young patients experience major biopsychosocial changes challenging their adherence through the transition from parental to self-care, from paediatric to adult care. In clinical practice, a systematic approach to transition is rarely used and there is little evidence on best practices. This qualitative review was based on a systematic literature search including quantitative as well as qualitative research reports to examine all relevant factors influencing adherence to PTX in YWH. We aimed to gain comprehensive insight into main drivers and barriers to adherence by exploring them in the context of YWH's disease perceptions, characteristics, HRQoL and needs. The outcome is an overview of the latest published recommendations to support treatment adherence in YWH during the transition from family-oriented care to self-care and from paediatric to adult care. The literature suggests that adherence to PTX is best supported when individual patient needs and preferences are taken into consideration when planning treatment. Preserving normality is a main priority in young patients making it crucial to support patients from early childhood in considering PTX as enabling rather than hindering a normal social and physically active life. Education in self-management should include psychosocial support of patients as well as caregivers. This requires systematic transition planning including milestone assessments and ongoing multidisciplinary support until full self-management is secured.

Health-related quality of life in paediatric haemophilia B patients treated with rIX-FP

INTRODUCTION

Frequent infusions and bleeds can impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of paediatric haemophilia B patients. rIX-FP (IDELVION^® ) is a fusion protein linking recombinant factor IX with recombinant albumin, and is associated with low bleeding rates with a weekly regimen, which could improve HRQoL.

AIMS

To measure the effect of rIX-FP prophylaxis on the HRQoL of paediatric patients and treatment satisfaction in their caregivers using the Haemo-QoL and Hemo-SAT_P questionnaires, respectively.

METHODS

At baseline and end-of-study (EOS), patients 4-11 years old participating in the PROLONG-9FP program answered the Haemo-QoL questionnaire and gave information on their socio-demographic data and physical activity. Caregivers completed the Hemo-Sat_P . Minimal important differences (MID) (|Cohen's d| > 0.5) between baseline and EOS and the number of responders (patients with meaningful subject-level improvements over time) at EOS were calculated.

RESULTS

Twenty patients (age group I: 4-7 years old [n = 12]; age group II: 8-12 years old [n = 8]) completed the Haemo-QoL questionnaire at baseline. MIDs were found in age group I representing improvement for "physical health" (d = -0.547) domain; 60% of patients were responders for "physical health." In age group II, MIDs were seen in most domains; 71.4% patients were responders in "total score." In caregivers, improvements were seen for most domains of the Hemo-Sat_P with a small effect size. Fewer patients missed school when treated with rIX-FP and 94.1% patients maintained their physical activity level.

CONCLUSION

Prophylaxis with rIX-FP led to substantial improvements in HRQoL in paediatric patients and treatment satisfaction in caregivers.

Attempting to remedy sub-optimal medication adherence in haemophilia: The rationale for repeated ultrasound visualisations of the patient's joint status

Haemophilia is marked by joint bleeding (haemarthrosis) leading to cartilage damage (arthropathy). Lifelong prophylaxis-initiated after the first bleeding episode-leads to a dramatic decrease in arthropathy in haemophilia patients. However, adherence to continuous intravenous administrations of factor VIII (FVIII) or FIX products is challenging, and patients potentially suffer from breakthrough bleedings while on prophylaxis. Newer FVIII/FIX products with enhanced convenience attributes and/or easier infusion procedures are intended to improve adherence. However, pharmacokinetic data should be harmonised with information from individual attitudes and treatment needs, to tailor intravenous dosing and scheduling in patients who receive extended half-life products. Nor is there sound evidence as to how subcutaneous non-FVIII/FIX replacement approaches (concizumab; emicizumab; fitusiran) or single intravenous injections of adeno-associated viral vectors (when employing gene therapy) will revolutionize adherence in haemophilia. In rheumatoid arthritis, repeated ultrasound examination of a patient's major joints is a valuable tool to educate patients and parents to understand the disease and provide an objective framework for clinicians to acknowledge patient's adherence. Joint ultrasound examination in haemophilia significantly correlates with cartilage damage, effusion, and synovial hypertrophy evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. Furthermore, in patients with haemophilia undergoing prophylaxis with an extended half-life product for a ≈ 2.8 year period, a significant continued improvement in joint health is detected at the physical examination. This provides the rationale for studies on repeated ultrasound examinations of joint status to attempt to remedy sub-optimal medication adherence and help identify which approach is most suited on which occasion and for which patient.

Adherence to treatment in adolescents with haemophilia: a qualitative study

introduction: Adolescents experience important changes in their physical, emotional, social and behavioural development. It is known that adolescents wish to be accepted by their peers, strive for independence and are prone to experiment. The challenge for adolescents with haemophilia is the need for taking responsibility for managing their illness and learning to comply with recommended treatment. This study aimed to investigate the process of adherence to treatment in adolescents with haemophilia. Methods: Grounded theory was used, based on one-on-one interviews (n=13) with adolescents with haemophilia. Results: The results include the core category “maturing selfcompetence” which represents the continuous developmental process from birth to teens with regard to haemophilia care. Three constitutive categories “living in a haemophiliac’s body”, “sharing with others” and “being protected and walking in faith” represent basic experiences in an adolescent's life. Further emergent categories include “becoming and staying informed”, “becoming and staying an expert”, “being in action”, “living between oblivion and awareness”, and “finding peace”. The adolescent stage “maturing self-competence” and their assessment of the situation at hand form the basis for decisions concerning adherence. Conclusion: Considering adolescents to be competent managers with regard to their disease, and including them in a partnership decision-making process for the therapeutic regime are the most important requisites for effective adherence.

Hemophilia Care in the Pediatric Age

Hemophilia is the most common of the severe bleeding disorders and if not properly managed since early infancy can lead to chronic disease and lifelong disabilities. However, it enjoys the most efficacious and safe treatment among the most prevalent monogenic disorders. Hemophilia should be considered in the neonatal period in the case of unusual bleeding or in the case of positive family history. Later, hemophilia should be suspected mainly in males because of abnormal bruising/bleeding or unusual bleeding following invasive procedures-for example, tonsillectomy or circumcision. Prophylactic treatment that is started early with clotting-factor concentrates has been shown to prevent hemophilic arthropathy and is, therefore, the gold standard of care for hemophilia A and B in most countries with adequate resources. Central venous access catheters and arterovenous fistulas play an important role in the management of hemophilia children requiring repeated and/or urgent administration of coagulation factor concentrates. During childhood and adolescence, personalized treatment strategies that suit the patient and his lifestyle are essential to ensure optimal outcomes. Physical activity is important and can contribute to better coordination, endurance, flexibility and strength. The present article focuses also on questions frequently posed to pediatric hematologists like vaccinations, day-care/school access and dental care.

Treatment adherence in hemophilia

Prophylactic clotting-factor regimens reduce the occurrence of bleeding episodes and maintain joint health in individuals with moderate and severe hemophilia. However, these outcomes are only achieved with adherence to prescribed prophylaxis regimens. There are several types of barriers to adherence related to key patient, condition, treatment, health-care system, and/or socioeconomic variables. Notably, health-care professionals may not prescribe prophylaxis if they perceive that a patient will be nonadherent. Prophylactic treatment strategies should be developed with the patient and family, focused on individualized treatment goals. Personalized strategies are needed to reinforce the importance of and encourage confidence in administering the regular infusions required for prophylactic therapy. These strategies may include verbal and written information delivered by health-care professionals, peers, and inter-active media. The advent of extended half-life clotting factors requiring less frequent infusion may improve adherence.

Treatment-related knowledge and skills of patients with haemophilia and their informal caregivers

BACKGROUND

Replacement therapy in haemophilia plays an important role in the effective management of this rare bleeding disorder and requires a high level of knowledge and practical skills.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and to compare the knowledge and skills about the medicines and their management among people with haemophilia treated with clotting factor concentrates, and their informal caregivers.

SETTING

Eight Hospital Pharmacies working closely with Haemophilia Care Centres in France. Method In this cross-sectional and multi-centre study, 26-item questionnaire was specifically developed to assess the knowledge and skills. Face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire were conducted with patients and caregivers.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Level of knowledge and skills about disease, treatment and medication management. Results This study included 80 patients and 55 caregivers. Although most interviewees had basic knowledge of the treatment, only 43.7 % knew the effect of clotting factor concentrates on the haemostasis process. Similarly, only 12.7 % of the patients and 30.9 % of the caregivers referred to inhibitors as adverse effects. Despite intensive training for home treatment, 55.7 % reported difficulties with reconstitution or injection. The knowledge required for the responsible management of their medications had not been totally acquired: only 17 participants were indeed familiar with the medication storage conditions; 29 patients and 9 caregivers had already experienced an emergency which they had to treat with no medicine available at home; and 47.4 % of participants had already thrown away an unused drug vial.

CONCLUSION

This study shows the need of a regular update and to renew awareness of haemophilia treatment specificities among these populations. The identified needs suggest that we should more invest in educational techniques or therapeutic education programs more focused on medication management.