Variation in lung function as a marker of adherence to oral and inhaled medication in cystic fibrosis

Use of cystic fibrosis inhaled medication before and after elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor initiation

Elexacator/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) has improved cystic fibrosis (CF) outcomes. A reduction in use of maintenance medication after its initiation has been reported. Seventy-one adult people with CF (PwCF) who are followed in three CF centers and completed one year of treatment with ETI were included in this study. Their use of inhaled dornase-α, colistin, tobramycin, aztreonam and levofloxacin during this period was compared with the corresponding use during one year without ETI, using the Medication Possession Ratio (MPR). MPR was significantly decreased after ETI initiation for dornase-α (67±35% vs 48±40%, p<0.001) and for all four inhaled antibiotics together (62±33% vs 41±37%, p<0.001). The findings of this multi-center, retrospective, study suggest that the initiation of ETI significantly leads to decrease in use of standard inhaled medication in PwCF. The significance of this finding in the course of the disease is yet to be investigated by larger prospective clinical trials.

Association between nebuliser therapies adherence and visit-to-visit variability of FEV1 in patients with cystic fibrosis

At the same level of lung function, some patients with cystic fibrosis have large variations in their FEV1 percent predicted (FEV1pp) values while others have stable values. We hypothesised that lower adherence to nebuliser therapies was associated with higher FEV1pp variability. We conducted a post hoc analysis of the ACtiF trial data. Adherence was calculated using data from data-logging nebulisers, and FEV1pp variability using the coefficient of variation equation. Amongst the 543 patients included in the analysis, those poorly adherent (adherence < 50%) had a higher FEV1pp variability than patients moderately (50 to < 80%) and highly adherent (≥ 80%), with median values (IQR1-3) of 8.1% (4.9-13.7), 6.3% (3.9-9.8), and 6.3% (3.9-9.3) respectively (p < 0.01). This result was confirmed by a multiple linear regression including adherence as a continuous variable (p < 0.01). Further studies are needed to determine the implications of these differences in FEV1pp variability on the prognosis of patients.

Effects of repetition as training and incentives on the performance in pulmonary function tests in healthy volunteers

Pulmonary function testing (PFT) is a central part of diagnosis and treatment monitoring in respiratory medicine. Few studies have investigated whether repeated PFT or training can significantly influence performance. To investigate potential training effects of repeated PFT, 30 healthy volunteers underwent daily and weekly repeated PFT with spirometry over 10 weeks. The study included 22 females and 8 males with a mean age of 31.8 years ± 15 (SD), a mean weight of 66.3 kg ± 14.5 (SD) and a mean BMI of 22.4 ± 3.3 (SD). The first 5 PFTs were performed on 5 consecutive days, followed by 3 PFTs once a week on the same day of the week. Subsequently, 5 measurements were taken daily for 5 consecutive days. After these 13 appointments in 5 weeks, participants were randomly assigned to the control or incentive group, with stratification for age and gender. The incentive group had the opportunity to win money (200 €) for the highest increase in forced vital capacity (FVC). PFTs were performed once a week on the same day of the week as before for 5 more times. Motivation was assessed by a questionnaire before the 1st, 9th and 18th measure of PFT at three time points throughout the study. An increase in PFT was observed with mean increases of 473 [ml] in FVC, 395 [ml] in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and 1.382 [litres/second] in peak expiratory flow (PEF) after four days of daily PFT. These increases did not persist and spirometric data returned to baseline after one week. After allocation, participants in the incentive group did not increase their FVC, FEV1 or PEF compared to the control group. The incentive group showed higher motivation than the control group, even before allocation. Repeated daily PFT could induce short-term increases, but PFT does not fluctuate significantly in the long term. External influences that affect motivation could not consistently increase PFT. For clinical practice, it can be concluded that PFT does not necessarily require extended training to ensure reliability if reproducibility criteria are met.

Impact of Digital Technologies on Clinical Care for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic accelerated the implementation of digital technologies, which have now become embedded as essential tools for the management of chronic disease, including cystic fibrosis (CF). Despite subsequent easing of restrictions and because of improved clinical stability resulting from the introduction of highly effective modulator therapy, digital technologies including video and telephone consultations and remote monitoring are likely to remain integral to the future delivery of CF health care. In this article, we explore some of the key developments in digital technologies, barriers to their adoption, and how the CF community is likely to embrace lessons learned from the recent pandemic to help modernize and reshape the future of CF care.

Pulmonary medication adherence among children and adults with cystic fibrosis: Is there an association with disease severity?

BACKGROUND

Adherence to pulmonary medication is pivotal in delaying the progression of lung disease in cystic fibrosis (CF). Further exploring the consequences of poor adherence and its impact on disease severity may be valuable to personalize CF treatment strategy.

AIM

To evaluate indicators of disease severity among children and adults with CF and investigate which of them are related to pulmonary medication adherence.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study. Data of children and adults followed up in one pediatric and one adult CF Unit were evaluated over 4 years. Disease severity was assessed by measuring body mass index (BMI), lung function, history of pulmonary exacerbations, and medication complexity. Adherence was assessed by calculating a 12-month medication possession ratio (MPR) for each pulmonary medication and then averaged for a composite MPR (cMPR) for each patient. Regression analysis was performed to explore the association of adherence with disease severity.

RESULTS

Ninety-five patients were included in our study, 52 children and 43 adults. The overall cMPR was 0.74 (SD = 0.25); 0.68 (SD = 0.24) for children and 0.81 (SD = 0.24) for adults. Adults presented higher adherence, with overall mean cMPR 0.81 (SD = 0.24) compared to children with mean cMPR 0.68 (SD = 0.24) (p < 0.05, 95% CI = -0.27 to -0.03). Adherence was inversely related to FEV₁ % predicted (β = -0.002, 95% CI = -0.004 to 0, p = 0.023) and FVC% predicted (β = -0.003, 95% CI = -0.005 to -0.001, p = 0.006) in regression analysis. Adherence was not found to be associated with BMI, history of exacerbations and medication complexity. The analysis of each medication showed that adherence to Dornase-alpha, Tobramycin and Colomycin was significantly related to specific disease severity indicators.

CONCLUSION

An overall moderate to high level of adherence was found among our study population. Adults presented higher adherence compared to children. FEV1% and FVC% predicted were related to a significant decrease in adherence. Among our group of CF patients with an overall moderate to high level of adherence, adherence to pulmonary medication was inversely related to disease severity.

Use of inhaled antibiotics among Danish patients with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Inhaled antibiotics are an important part of cystic fibrosis (CF) airway disease management and should be individualized to fit the microorganism and match patient needs. To investigate the implementation of personalized treatment, this study mapped the use of different types of inhaled antibiotics and adherence patterns.

METHODS

We performed individual structured interviews in a cross-sectional study at the CF Centre in Copenhagen, Denmark. Patients with CF older than 15 years attending clinical consultations were included. Clinical data were obtained from centralized databases.

RESULTS

Among 149 participants, 107 (72%) had indication for treatment with inhaled antibiotics. In this group, 97 (91%) reported the use of inhaled antibiotics within the last 12 months. Change from one inhaled antibiotic to another during that period was reported by 31 (29%), and 17 (25%) with Pseudomonas aeruginosa had used off-label antibiotics. Adherence to a minimum of one daily dose of antibiotic was reported by 78%, while adherence to all daily doses was 28 percentage points lower. Skipping inhalations was due to side effects and doubt about the effect in less than 5% of cases.

CONCLUSION

Change of inhaled antibiotics and use of off-label antibiotics for inhalation were common and side effects were a rare cause of nonadherence. This suggests satisfactory implementation of the principle of tailored antibiotic inhalation prescription in the Copenhagen CF population. Adherence to at least one daily inhalation dose was markedly higher than adherence to multiple daily inhalations.

Adherence to inhaled therapies over 4 years in people with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

This study examined the drug-specific and overall adherence of teenagers and adults with cystic fibrosis (CF) to inhaled therapies, to assess the degree of adherence, stability over a period of 4 years, and its association with health outcomes.

METHODS

Fifty-five participants (30 women and 25 men) aged 14 years or older from two CF centers were enrolled in a retrospective review of inhaled medication adherence over 4 years. Adherence was assessed by the number of doses that were obtained by each participant based on the "e-prescription.gr" platform and the calculation of the medication possession ratio (MPR).

RESULTS

The mean composite MPR (cMPR) for the entire research period was 0.75 ± 0.19. A total of 43.4% of participants showed a variance of adherence <25%. Participants with stable adherence had a significantly higher mean cMPR compared with those with variable adherence (0.86 ± 0.16 vs. 0.66 ± 0.17, p < 0.001). A statistically significant difference between groups of patients with different degrees of mean cMPR and mean weight was observed (p = 0.011). Patients with a mean cMPR ≥0.80 weighed significantly more than those with moderate and low adherence. In addition, mean weight correlated significantly with the mean cMPR (Β [95% confidence interval] = 14.845 [0.191-29.498], r = 0.269, p = 0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

In our setting, the cMPR was easy to assess and showed that adherence was probably better than expected. The association of cMPR with weight should be further investigated. Stable adherence seemed to be related to high adherence. This observation could enhance our understanding of people with CF and their approach to treatment.

Using a learning health system to understand the mismatch between medicines supply and actual medicines use among adults with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Studies in separate cohorts suggest possible discrepancies between inhaled medicines supplied (median 50-60%) and medicines used (median 30-40%). We performed the first study that directly compares CF medicine supply against use to identify the cost of excess medicines supply.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included participants from 12 UK adult centres with ≥1 year of continuous adherence data from data-logging nebulisers. Medicine supply was measured as medication possession ratio (MPR) for a 1-year period from the first suitable supply date. Medicine use was measured as electronic data capture (EDC) adherence over the same period. The cost of excess medicines was calculated as whole excess box(es) supplied after accounting for the discrepancy between EDC adherence and MPR with 20% contingency.

RESULTS

Among 275 participants, 133 (48.4%) were females and mean age was 30 years (95% CI 29-31 years). Median EDC adherence was 57% (IQR 23-86%), median MPR was 74% (IQR 46-96%) and the discrepancy between measures was median 14% (IQR 2-29%). Even with 20% contingency, mean potential cost of excess medicines was £1,124 (95% CI £855-1,394), ranging from £183 (95% CI £29-338) for EDC adherence ≥80% to £2,017 (95% CI £1,507-2,526) for EDC adherence <50%.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a conservative estimate of excess inhaled medicines supply cost among adults with CF in the UK. The excess supply cost was highest among those with lowest EDC adherence, highlighting the importance of adherence support and supplying medicine according to actual use. MPR provides information about medicine supply but over-estimates actual medicine use.

Development of an intervention to increase adherence to nebuliser treatment in adults with cystic fibrosis: CFHealthHub

BACKGROUND

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-limiting genetic condition in which daily therapies to maintain lung health are critical, yet treatment adherence is low. Previous interventions to increase adherence have been largely unsuccessful and this is likely due to a lack of focus on behavioural evidence and theory alongside input from people with CF. This intervention is based on a digital platform that collects and displays objective nebuliser adherence data. The purpose of this paper is to identify the specific components of an intervention to increase and maintain adherence to nebuliser treatments in adults with CF with a focus on reducing effort and treatment burden.

METHODS

Intervention development was informed by the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and person-based approach (PBA). A multidisciplinary team conducted qualitative research to inform a needs analysis, selected, and refined intervention components and methods of delivery, mapped adherence-related barriers and facilitators, associated intervention functions and behaviour change techniques, and utilised iterative feedback to develop and refine content and processes.

RESULTS

Results indicated that people with CF need to understand their treatment, be able to monitor adherence, have treatment goals and feedback and confidence in their ability to adhere, have a treatment plan to develop habits for treatment, and be able to solve problems around treatment adherence. Behaviour change techniques were selected to address each of these needs and were incorporated into the digital intervention developed iteratively, alongside a manual and training for health professionals. Feedback from people with CF and clinicians helped to refine the intervention which could be tailored to individual patient needs.

CONCLUSIONS

The intervention development process is underpinned by a strong theoretical framework and evidence base and was developed by a multidisciplinary team with a range of skills and expertise integrated with substantial input from patients and clinicians. This multifaceted development strategy has ensured that the intervention is usable and acceptable to people with CF and clinicians, providing the best chance of success in supporting people with CF with different needs to increase and maintain their adherence. The intervention is being tested in a randomised controlled trial across 19 UK sites.

Development and Validation of the AdT-Physio Scale: A Tool to Assess Adherence and Perception of Physical Therapist Intervention in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale to measure patient adherence to physical therapist intervention and to report psychometric properties in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

METHODS

This observational, multicenter, qualitative, and cross-sectional study was divided into 2 phases: development of scale items (content validity) and assessment of psychometric properties (construct validity, reliability, and convergent/discriminant validity). Recruited were 121 patients with CF (aged ≥16 years). Sociodemographic characteristics, lung function testing, Coping with Stress Self-Efficacy, brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced inventory, and the scale of Adherence to Treatment of Physiotherapy (AdT-Physio) scale were evaluated.

RESULTS

The final version of the AdT-Physio scale consists of 15 items distributed across 2 subscales: compliance and beliefs about treatment/therapist. The scale showed high internal consistency (Cronbach α = .897; 95% CI = 0.868-0.922) and subscales above 0.800. The 2-factor confirmatory factor analysis model fitted the data reasonably well: χ2 (76) = 111.96, comparative fit index = 0.982, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.978, root mean square error of approximation = 0.063, 95% CI = 0.036 to 0.086, and weighted root mean square residual = 0.720. No floor or ceiling effects were identified. There was a positive, significant, and moderate-low magnitude correlation with the total Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced inventory (r = .360) and Coping with Stress Self-Efficacy subscale efficacy expectations scores (r = .304). For discriminant validity, there was a positive, significant, and moderate correlation between the total and the age of the patients (r = .354).

CONCLUSIONS

The AdT-Physio scale is psychometrically valid and reliable for use in the clinic for the assessment of adherence to physical therapy in patients with CF.

IMPACT

Ultimately, the authors propose this documentary instrument to assess the evaluation of the therapeutic alliance in a valid and objective manner. The AdT-Physio scale provides us with a greater degree of understanding of the problems behind noncompliance with treatment to advance person-centered decisions in physical therapy and thereby enhance the effectiveness of care.

Feasibility study for supporting medication adherence for adults with cystic fibrosis: mixed-methods process evaluation

OBJECTIVES

To undertake a process evaluation of an adherence support intervention for people with cystic fibrosis (PWCF), to assess its feasibility and acceptability.

SETTING

Two UK cystic fibrosis (CF) units.

PARTICIPANTS

Fourteen adult PWCF; three professionals delivering adherence support ('interventionists'); five multi-disciplinary CF team members.

INTERVENTIONS

Nebuliser with data recording and transfer capability, linked to a software platform, and strategies to support adherence to nebulised treatments facilitated by interventionists over 5 months (± 1 month).

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY MEASURES

Feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, assessed through semistructured interviews, questionnaires, fidelity assessments and click analytics.

RESULTS

Interventionists were complimentary about the intervention and training. Key barriers to intervention feasibility and acceptability were identified. Interventionists had difficulty finding clinic space and time in normal working hours to conduct review visits. As a result, fewer than expected intervention visits were conducted and interviews indicated this may explain low adherence in some intervention arm participants. Adherence levels appeared to be >100% for some patients, due to inaccurate prescription data, particularly in patients with complex treatment regimens. Flatlines in adherence data at the start of the study were linked to device connectivity problems. Content and delivery quality fidelity were 100% and 60%-92%, respectively, indicating that interventionists needed to focus more on intervention 'active ingredients' during sessions.

CONCLUSIONS

The process evaluation led to 14 key changes to intervention procedures to overcome barriers to intervention success. With the identified changes, it is feasible and acceptable to support medication adherence with this intervention.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ISRCTN13076797; Results.

Adults with cystic fibrosis: spiritual coping with lifelong disease

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a chronic life-shortening disease requiring significant coping. Spiritual belief relates to treatment behaviors. Little is known about spirituality's role in adults diagnosed as children, nor how it compares with adults diagnosed as adults. Adults over 18 years, diagnosed as children completed a questionnaire; some were randomized to also participate in an interview or daily phone diary to measure adherence. Qualitative analyses of 25 adults are presented. Participants reframed their disease as part of a Divine Plan, in which Divine assistance was conditional upon adherence. Linear regression models of spiritual constructs on airway clearance, nebulized medication, and exercise are presented. Adults diagnosed as children related spirituality to CF in ways both consistent and different from adults diagnosed as adults. Spiritual beliefs were related to adherence determinants and intentions. Increased understanding of the relationship between spirituality and health behaviors is important to providing person-centered care.

Understanding FEV1 for the purpose of cystic fibrosis registry comparisons: Does bias in annual review FEV1 affect between-centre comparison within the UK? An analysis of registry data

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVE

We previously demonstrated that annual review %FEV₁ underestimates lung health of adults with CF compared with %FEV₁ captured during periods of clinical stability. This has implications in the comparisons against registries with encounter-based FEV₁ , such as the United States. It is uncertain whether this bias affects between-centre comparison within the United Kingdom. Previous funnel plot analyses have identified variation in annual review %FEV₁ according to centre size; hence, we investigated whether paired differences between annual review and best %FEV₁ also vary according to centre size.

METHODS

This registry analysis included 18 adult CF centres in the United Kingdom with ≥80% completeness for best FEV₁ data in 2014. Mean discrepancy between annual review and best %FEV₁ is a surrogate for the extent by which annual review %FEV₁ underestimates lung health, and was plotted against centre size. A local polynomial regression (LOESS) curve was used to explore the relationship between the two variables. An appropriate model is fitted based on the LOESS curve to determine the strength of relationship between discrepancies in %FEV₁ and centre size.

RESULTS

There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between mean discrepancies in %FEV₁ and centre size. A regression of the paired mean difference in %FEV₁ against centre size showed a significant improvement in the goodness of fit for a quadratic model (R²  = 23.8% for a quadratic model compared with 0.4% for a linear one; P = 0.048 for the quadratic term).

CONCLUSIONS

Annual review %FEV₁ underestimated lung health of adults from small and large centres in the United Kingdom to a greater extent compared with medium-sized centres. A plot of %FEV₁ against centre size (eg, funnel plot comparison) would be affected by systematic bias in annual review %FEV₁ . Therefore, annual review %FEV₁ is an unreliable metric to compare health outcomes of adult CF centres within the United Kingdom.

Adherence to long-term therapies in cystic fibrosis: a French cross-sectional study linking prescribing, dispensing, and hospitalization data

BACKGROUND

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a life-shortening genetic condition that usually affects several organs and involves significant treatment burden. Adherence to medication is important for successful CF management.

OBJECTIVE

To describe medication adherence according to age, therapeutic class, and pharmaceutical form in adults and children followed in four regional CF centers in France.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study with non-transplanted patients followed in two adult and two pediatric centers during 2015 who were covered by the French National Health Insurance (NHI). Sociodemographic, clinical, hospitalization, and prescription data were collected from patient medical records. Medication dispensations were extracted from the regional French NHI database. Adherence was calculated over 12 months using continuous medication availability (CMA) accounting for dose adjustments and hospitalizations. Drug-specific CMA was computed in R with the AdhereR package for each medication prescribed more than 3 months, which was averaged to obtain a composite CMA score (cCMA) for all treatments and per therapeutic class as well as pharmaceutical form for each patient.

RESULTS

A total of 228 patients were included. The number of chronic medications increased with age (r=0.50, p<0.001): a median of 7 medications per patient were prescribed. The mean±SD cCMA was significantly different between age groups (p=0.0098): it was 0.71±0.20 for the 0-5 years age group, 0.73±0.16 for 6-11 years, 0.64±0.17 for 12-17 years, 0.57±0.23 for 18-25 years, and 0.65±0.20 for the over 25 years age group. cCMA varied significantly according to pharmaceutical forms: the mean±SD cCMA was 0.70±0.21 for oral medications and 0.54±0.28 for inhaled medications (p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that adherence to medication regimens in CF patients remains suboptimal and varies substantially between age groups and pharmaceutical forms. These variations in adherence should be considered when developing effective strategies to improve adherence.