Evaluation of uptake and effect on patient-reported outcomes of a clinician and patient co-led chronic musculoskeletal pain self-management programme provided by the UK National Health Service

Effectiveness of the Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions (ABCC)-tool in patients with asthma, COPD, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and heart failure: A pragmatic clustered quasi-experimental study in the Netherlands

BACKGROUND

The Assessment of Burden of Chronic Conditions (ABCC)-tool was developed to optimise chronic care.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of the ABCC-tool in patients with COPD, asthma, type 2 diabetes, and/or heart failure in primary care in the Netherlands.

METHODS

The study had a pragmatic, clustered, two-armed, quasi-experimental design. The intervention group (41 general practices; 176 patients) used the ABCC-tool during routine consultations and the control group (14 general practices; 61 patients) received usual care. The primary outcome was a change in perceived quality of care (PACIC; Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care) after 18 months. Secondary outcomes included change in the PACIC after 6 and 12 months, and in quality of life (EQ-5D-5L; EuroQol-5D-5L), capability well-being (ICECAP-A; ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults), and patients' activation (PAM; Patient Activation Measure) after 6, 12, and 18 months for the total group and conditions separately.

RESULTS

We observed a significant difference in the PACIC after 6, 12, and 18 months (18 months: 0.388 points; 95%CI: 0.089-0.687; p = 0.011) for the total group and after 6 and 12 months for type 2 diabetes. After 18 months, we observed a significant difference in the PAM for the total group but not at 6 and 12 months, and not for type 2 diabetes. All significant effects were in favour of the intervention group. No significant differences were found for the EQ-5D-5L and the ICECAP-A.

CONCLUSION

Use of the ABCC-tool has a positive effect on perceived quality of care and patients' activation, which makes the tool ready for use in clinical practice. Healthcare providers (e.g. general practitioners and practice nurses) can use the tool to provide person-centred care.Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT04127383).

Digital Physical Activity and Exercise Interventions for People Living with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review of Health Outcomes and Feasibility

Physical activity is essential to interrupt the cycle of deconditioning associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, access to targeted physical activity interventions remain under-supported due to limited funding and specialised staff. Digital interventions may address some of these factors. This systematic review sought to examine the evidence base of digital interventions focused on promoting physical activity or exercise and their effect on health outcomes for people living with CKD. Electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane) were searched from 1 January 2000 to 1 December 2023. Interventions (smartphone applications, activity trackers, websites) for adults with CKD (any stage, including transplant) which promoted physical activity or exercise were included. Study quality was assessed, and a narrative synthesis was conducted. Of the 4057 records identified, eight studies (five randomised controlled trials, three single-arm studies) were included, comprising 550 participants. Duration ranged from 12-weeks to 1-year. The findings indicated acceptability and feasibility were high, with small cohort numbers and high risk of bias. There were inconsistent measures of physical activity levels, self-efficacy, body composition, physical function, and psychological outcomes which resulted in no apparent effects of digital interventions on these domains. Data were insufficient for meta-analysis. The evidence for digital interventions to promote physical activity and exercise for people living with CKD is limited. Despite popularity, there is little evidence that current digital interventions yield the effects expected from traditional face-to-face interventions. However, 14 registered trials were identified which may strengthen the evidence-base.

[Evidence-based interventions to treat chronic low back pain: treatment selection for a personalized medicine approach : German version]

INTRODUCTION

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is highly prevalent in the United States and globally, resulting in functional impairment and lowered quality of life. While many treatments are available for cLBP, clinicians have little information about which specific treatment(s) will work best for individual patients or subgroups of patients. The Back Pain Research Consortium, part of the National Institutes of Health Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM (HEAL) Initiative, will conduct a collaborative clinical trial, which seeks to develop a personalized medicine algorithm to optimize patient and provider treatment selection for patients with cLBP.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this article is to provide an update on evidence-based cLBP interventions and describe the process of reviewing and selecting interventions for inclusion in the clinical trial.

METHODS

A working group of cLBP experts reviewed and selected interventions for inclusion in the clinical trial. The primary evaluation measures were strength of evidence and magnitude of treatment effect. When available in the literature, duration of effect, onset time, carryover effect, multimodal efficacy, responder subgroups, and evidence for the mechanism of treatment effect or biomarkers were considered.

CONCLUSION

The working group selected 4 leading, evidence-based treatments for cLBP to be tested in the clinical trial and for use in routine clinical treatment. These treatments include (1) duloxetine, (2) acceptance and commitment therapy, (3) a classification-based exercise and manual therapy intervention, and (4) a self-management approach. These interventions each had a moderate to high level of evidence to support a therapeutic effect and were from different therapeutic classes.

Applying the Patient Empowerment, Engagement, and Activation Survey to Improve Patient Outcomes

This article focuses on applying the patient empowerment, engagement, and activation (PEEA) model as an implementation strategy to achieve patient- or person-centered care. There is substantial evidence linking PEEA to improved patient care outcomes and reduced healthcare costs. Interrelationships among the 3 concepts are discussed and how the PEEA survey can be used to evaluate patients' activation for self-care postdischarge and their perceptions of nurses' empowering and engaging them during the care encounter.

An intervention to support stroke survivors and their carers in the longer term: results of a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial (LoTS2Care)

BACKGROUND

To address the limited provision of longer-term stroke care, we conducted a programme of research (LoTS2Care) to develop and test an intervention to form part of a replicable longer-term care strategy. New Start, a programme of facilitated self-management, was developed to be delivered at 6 months post-stroke by trained facilitators. Here, we report the findings from the final workstream of this programme, which aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of implementing a future definitive cluster randomised controlled trial of the developed intervention (New Start) to support stroke survivors and their carers in the longer term.

METHODS

A feasibility cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in English and Welsh NHS stroke services. Stroke services (clusters) were randomised on a 1:1 basis to implement New Start or continue with usual care only. Community-dwelling stroke survivors between 4 and 6 months post-stroke were invited to participate in the trial by post. Outcome measures were collected via post at 3, 6 and 9 months after recruitment. Recruitment and follow-up rates, delivery and uptake of the intervention, data collection feasibility (including postal outcome measures of health and disability, mental well-being at 3, 6, and 9 months post-recruitment) and safety were assessed.

RESULTS

Ten stroke services were recruited. A total of 1127 stroke survivors were screened for participation, and 269 were registered (New Start, n = 145; usual care, n = 124). Retention was high with 239 (89%) stroke survivors being available for follow-up at 9 months, and high return rates of postal questionnaires were achieved (80.3% at 9 months). Intervention training was successfully delivered, and New Start was offered to 95.2% of trial participants in the intervention arm. Uptake was variable, however, ranging from 11.8 to 75.0%. There were no safety concerns.

CONCLUSIONS

Stroke service recruitment and longer-term stroke survivor postal recruitment and outcome data collection are feasible; however, refinement of intervention targeting and delivery is required prior to undertaking a definitive trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN38920246. Registered 22 June 2016 ( http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN38920246 ).

Responder analysis confirms results of a stroke transitional care trial but provides more interpretable results

OBJECTIVES

Interpreting between-group differences in patient-reported outcome measures can be challenging. Responder analyses, which compare the proportions of patients who achieve a meaningful clinical change, represent a more interpretable approach. We conducted a secondary responder analysis of the Michigan Stroke Transitions Trial (MISTT).

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING

The MISTT randomized 265 patients with stroke to three treatment groups: usual care [UC], social work case management [SWCM], or social work case management plus access to a patient-oriented website [SWCM + website]. Two Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement and Information System (PROMIS) Global-10 subscales (representing physical and mental health) and 5 additional patient-reported outcomes were collected at baseline and 90-days. Responder analyses were conducted using modified Poisson and linear regression using published minimal important differences. Multiple imputation was used to address missing data.

RESULTS

For the PROMIS-10 global physical health subscale, responders were 80% more common in the SWCM + website group compared to the UC group (relative risk = 1.8, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0, 3.1), with a number needed to treat of 7 (95% CI: 3, 112). No significant treatment effects were observed for the PROMIS-10 global mental health subscale.

CONCLUSION

Results of this responder analysis were largely consistent with the original trial analysis but have the advantage of presenting treatment effects using more clinically interpretable number needed to treat metrics.

Evidence-based interventions to treat chronic low back pain: treatment selection for a personalized medicine approach

Literature on current treatments for chronic low back pain (cLBP) were reviewed and 4 interventions were recommended for inclusion in a multisite cLBP clinical trial.

Introduction:

Objective:

Methods:

Conclusion:

EMPOWERing Patients With Diabetes Using Profiling and Targeted Feedbacks Delivered Through Smartphone App and Wearable (EMPOWER): Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial on Effectiveness and Implementation

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses huge burden and cost on the healthcare system. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions that incorporate wearables may be able to improve diabetes self-management. The aim of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of personalized educational and behavioral interventions delivered through an EMPOWER mobile application (app) among patients with T2DM.

Methods

This is a parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients with T2DM recruited from primary care will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to either intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive personalized educational and behavioral interventions through the EMPOWER app in addition to their usual clinical care. The control group will receive the usual clinical care for their T2DM but will not have access to the EMPOWER app. Our primary outcome is patient activation score at 12 months. Secondary outcomes will include HbA1c, physical activity level and diet throughout 12 months; quality of life (QoL), medication adherence, direct healthcare cost and indirect healthcare cost at 6 and 12 months.

Discussion

This RCT will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness and implementation of personalized educational and behavioral interventions delivered through mobile application in T2DM management. Findings from this study can help to achieve sustainable and cost-effective behavioral change in patients with T2DM, and this can be potentially scaled to other chronic diseases such as hypertension and dyslipidemia.

Pain Self-Management Strategies of Chronic Back Pain Sufferers in Thailand: A Qualitative Study (A Doctoral Project)

Background:

Chronic low back pain is among the most common chronic musculoskeletal disorders worldwide. It is prevalent in Thailand, affecting up to 30% of the general population, with much higher rates among manual labourers. Pain self-management, including education, exercise, medication and other components, is an effective strategy for reducing pain intensity and disability rates for chronic low back pain sufferers.

Objective:

To investigate pain self-management strategies among chronic lower back pain sufferers in Thailand.

Methods:

The study design was a qualitative interview-based technique. The study setting was an orthopaedic outpatient department at a university hospital in Northern Thailand. Participants (n = 19) were selected based on recruitment criteria, and data was collected using demographic forms and in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used for qualitative analysis, with Wilcoxon signed-rank test used to assess changes in pain levels.

Results:

Participants used a combination of pain self-management modalities, including exercise, modified food consumption, increased rest, herbal treatments, hot and cold compression, Thai massage, and acupressure, along with psychological and spiritual coping tools like meditation and making merit. Ability to use these interventions was dependent on medical support from practitioners as well as social and other support. A small, but significant, mean difference in pain was also observed.

Conclusion:

Findings point to the possibility that there are significant cultural differences in pain self-management modalities and their effectiveness.

Rheumatology patients' perceptions of patient activation and the Patient Activation Measure: A qualitative interview study

INTRODUCTION

An important aspect of self-management is patient activation (the skills, abilities and confidence someone uses to actively manage their health). The dominant method of capturing patient activation is the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) which has been integrated into many aspects of clinical practice in musculoskeletal care. However, limited research has investigated how rheumatology patients understand and perform patient activation, and how closely their perceptions align with the PAM.

METHODS

Seventeen patients from two rheumatology departments in South West England participated in semi-structured interviews at two timepoints. They discussed how they actively managed their health and their views on the PAM. Data on activation were analysed using framework analysis and data on the PAM were analysed using content analysis.

RESULTS

Participants self-managed with determination, finding ways to make small, sustainable behaviour changes and effectively navigate the healthcare system. They reported the value of knowing what self-management techniques suited them individually and reported benefitting from positive perceptions of their own health and good social support. Participants noted that the PAM did not always capture the fluctuating nature of their inflammatory arthritis and the collaborative nature of healthcare.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients' perceptions and experiences of patient activation covered a wide range of skills, behaviours and beliefs. However, these are not always captured by the PAM. Therefore, its use as a clinical tool is best accompanied by dialogue with patients to understand their self-management.

Longer-term health and social care strategies for stroke survivors and their carers: the LoTS2Care research programme including cluster feasibility RCT

Background

It is reported that the longer-term outcomes for stroke survivors are poor, with a range of unmet needs identified.

Objectives

The aims were to develop and test a longer-term stroke care strategy focused on improving the quality of life of stroke survivors and their carers by addressing unmet needs, and maintenance and enhancement of participation (i.e. involvement in life situations).

Design

Five overlapping workstreams were undertaken – (1) refinement of content by semistructured interviews with stroke survivors and their carers and by a review of the literature to inform content and delivery of the care strategy; (2) exploration of service models by national survey and focus groups with purposely selected services; (3) intervention development by interaction with a reference group of stroke survivors, carers, and health and social care professionals; (4) refinement and pilot implementation of the developed intervention in three stroke services (case studies); and (5) a cluster randomised controlled feasibility trial in 10 stroke services across England and Wales.

Setting

The intervention development work and feasibility trial were in stroke services (inclusive of primary, secondary, community and social care provision) across England and Wales.

Participants

Participants were stroke survivors resident in the community and their carers, and health and social care professionals in the included stroke services.

Data sources

Interviews with 28 stroke survivors and their carers at least 9 months post stroke ascertained their needs and the barriers to and facilitators of addressing those needs. Additional literature reviews identified 23 needs. No evidence-based interventions to address these needs were reported; self-management was highlighted as a possible delivery mechanism. In workstream 2, a national survey revealed that the most common model of stroke service provision was care up to 12 months post stroke, reported by 46 (40%) services. Thirty-five (30%) services provided care up to 6 months post stroke and 35 (30%) provided care beyond 12 months, thus identifying 6 months post stroke as an appropriate delivery point for a new intervention. Through focus groups in a range of services, stroke survivors’ perceived unmet needs and the barriers to and enablers of service provision were identified.

Intervention

Using information obtained in workstreams 1 and 2 and working closely with a stakeholder reference group, we developed an intervention based on the unmet needs prioritised by stroke survivors and their carers (workstream 3). In workstream 4, action groups (clinicians, stroke survivors and researchers) were established in three stroke services that led implementation in their service and contributed to the iterative refinement of the intervention, associated training programme and implementation materials. The intervention (called New Start) was delivered at 6 months post stroke. Key components were problem-solving self-management with survivors and carers, help with obtaining usable information, and helping survivors and their carers build sustainable, flexible support networks.

Results

A cluster randomised feasibility trial (workstream 5) was successfully implemented in 10 stroke services across England and Wales, with associated process and health economic evaluations. Five services were randomised to provide New Start, while five continued with usual care; 269 participants were recruited. Progression criteria – in terms of our pre-determined (red, amber, green) criteria for progress to a full trial: target stroke survivor recruitment rates were achieved, on average, across sites (24.1 per site over 6 months, green); 216 (80.3%) registered stroke survivors returned follow-up questionnaires at 9 months (84.1% in the intervention arm and 75.8% in the usual care arm, green); according to data reported by sites, overall, 95.2% of registered stroke survivors were offered at least one session of the intervention (green); all five intervention sites had at least two facilitators deemed competent, delivered the New Start intervention and provided it to stroke survivors (green). However, at some sites, there were concerns regarding the number of stroke survivors being offered, accepting and receiving the intervention. Only small differences in outcomes and costs were observed between the New Start and usual care groups, and considerable uncertainty around the cost-effectiveness remains.

Conclusions

We report a complex programme of work that has described the longer-term needs of stroke survivors and highlighted evidence and service gaps. Working closely with stroke survivors, an intervention was developed that has been refined in three services and feasibility tested in a cluster randomised controlled trial. Further refinement of the target population and optimisation of the intervention materials is required prior to a full randomised controlled trial evaluation.

Future work

Optimisation of the intervention, and clearer specification of recipients, are required prior to a full trial evaluation.

Trial registration

Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN38920246.

Funding

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Programme Grants for Applied Research programme and will be published in full in Programme Grants for Applied Research; Vol. 9, No. 3. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Person-centered diabetes care and patient activation in people with type 2 diabetes

INTRODUCTION

The American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes advocate a person-centered approach to enhance patient engagement in self-care activities. To that purpose, people with diabetes need adequate diabetes knowledge, motivation, skills and confidence. These prerequisites are captured by the concept 'patient activation'. The Dutch Diabetes Federation implemented a person-centered consultation model for the annual diabetes review. To assess its relationship with patient activation, we measured the change in patient activation, and in person and disease-related factors in people with type 2 diabetes after their second person-centered annual review.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Observational study in 47 primary care practices and six outpatient hospital clinics.

FOLLOW-UP

1 year. From 2.617 people with diabetes and capable of completing questionnaires (no additional exclusion criteria) 1.487 (56.8%) participated, 1366 with type 2 diabetes.

MAIN OUTCOME

patient activation (13-item Patient Activation Measure, score 0-100). Before the first and after the second review, participants completed questionnaires. Medical data were retrieved from electronic records. We performed a repeated measure analysis using a linear mixed model in 1299 participants, who completed the first set of questionnaires.

RESULTS

In 1299 participants (41.6% female, mean age 66 years, median diabetes duration 10 years, median glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) 6.8%/51 mmol/mol), the mean baseline activation level was 58.9 (SD 11.7). Independent of actual diabetes care, activation levels increased 1.53 units (95% CI 0.67 to 2.39, p=0.001). Several diabetes perceptions improved significantly; diabetes distress level decreased significantly. Body mass index (-0.22, 95% CI -0.33 to -0.10, p<0.001) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-2.71 mg/dL, 95% CI -4.64 to -0.77, p=0.004) decreased, HbA1c increased 0.08% (95% CI 0.03 to 0.12) (p=0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Person-centered diabetes care was associated with a slightly higher patient activation level, improved diabetes perception and small improvements in clinical outcomes. Person-centered care may enhance patient engagement, but one should not expect substantial improvement in patient outcomes in the short term.

Patient activation and Type 2 diabetes mellitus self-management: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Patient activation has been recognised as a reliable driver of self-management decision-making. This systematic review and meta-analysis examines existing evidence on whether embedding patient activation within Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) self-management programs can improve patient outcomes. This review has included 10 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) conducted between 2004 and 2019 retrieved from well-known databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, ProQuest and ScienceDirect. The eligible RCTs were excluded if they scored low according to Cochrane Collaboration’s ‘risk of bias’ criteria. Random-effects meta-analyses showed that there were no significance changes in haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), body mass index (BMI) and patient activation measure (PAM) between intervention and control groups after the intervention; however, the systematic review findings indicated that an improved patient activation level led to significant improvements in T2DM self-management and clinical outcomes including HbA1c level. Studies with a longer follow-up period conducted in community settings and delivered by peer coaches were more likely to lead to significant improvement in both patient activation levels and T2DM self-management and clinical outcomes. This review concludes that patient activation can be used as a reliable tool for improving T2DM self-management and clinical outcomes.

Promoting the use of self-management in patients with spine pain managed by chiropractors and chiropractic interns: barriers and design of a theory-based knowledge translation intervention

Background

The literature supports the effectiveness of self-management support (SMS) to improve health outcomes of patients with chronic spine pain. However, patient engagement in SMS programs is suboptimal. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess participation in self-care (i.e. activation) among patients with spine pain, 2) identify patients’ barriers and enablers to using SMS, and 3) map behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to key barriers to inform the design of a knowledge translation (KT) intervention aimed to increase the use of SMS.

Methods

In summer 2016, we invited 250 patients with spine pain seeking care at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Ontario, Canada to complete the Patient Activation Measure (PAM) survey to assess the level of participation in self-care. We subsequently conducted individual interviews, in summer 2017, based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) in a subset of patients to identify potential challenges to using SMS. The interview guide included 20 open-ended questions and accompanying probes. Findings were deductively analysed guided by the TDF. A panel of 7 experts mapped key barriers to BCTs, designed a KT intervention, and selected the modes of delivery.

Results

Two hundred and twenty-three patients completed the PAM. Approximately 24% of respondents were not actively involved in their care. Interview findings from 13 spine pain patients suggested that the potential barriers to using SMS corresponded to four TDF domains: Environmental Context and Resources; Emotion; Memory, Attention & Decision-Making; and Behavioural Regulation. The proposed theory-based KT intervention includes paper-based educational materials, webinars and videos, summarising and demonstrating the therapeutic recommendations including exercises and other lifestyle changes. In addition, the KT intervention includes Brief Action Planning, a SMS strategy based on motivational interviewing, along with a SMART plan and reminders.

Conclusions

Almost one quarter of study participants were not actively engaged in their spine care. Key barriers likely to influence uptake of SMS among patients were identified and used to inform the design of a theory-based KT intervention to increase their participation level. The proposed multi-component KT intervention may be an effective strategy to optimize the quality of spine pain care and improve patients’ health-outcomes.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12998-019-0267-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.