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Liu J, Meyer K, Glassner A, Gonzales M, Bartlett Ellis RJ, Park H, Song L, Patel N, Wang J. Thematic Analysis of Alzheimer's Medication Management Discussion in a Non-Moderated Online Forum. West J Nurs Res 2024; 46:307-314. [PMID: 38456477 PMCID: PMC10955786 DOI: 10.1177/01939459241237671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Managing medications for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is challenging for caregivers. Information about caregivers' strategies to manage these challenges is needed to inform intervention development. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to understand caregivers' medication management experiences by analyzing online community discussions. METHODS Posts were extracted from the ALZConnected® Forum using keywords "medication" and "drug" via web scraping. The researchers applied thematic analysis. RESULTS Four major themes emerged: (1) role transition of medication management responsibilities, (2) caregivers' uncertainty about medication purpose and values, (3) conflicts between the care recipients and caregivers, and (4) difficulty accessing and affording medications. CONCLUSIONS The experiences shared on a non-moderated, unstructured online forum indicate that medication management is challenging and overwhelming for caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Since this is a progressive disease with various stages and changing needs, caregivers' strategies vary and are often limited by available resources and support. Health care providers should offer training and support for caregivers to navigate the transfer of medication management responsibilities and changing care needs as the disease progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Liu
- School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kylie Meyer
- Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ashlie Glassner
- School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Mitzi Gonzales
- Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | | | - Hyejin Park
- College of Nursing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Lixin Song
- School of Nursing, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Neela Patel
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- College of Nursing, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
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Tahami Monfared AA, Stern Y, Doogan S, Irizarry M, Zhang Q. Understanding Barriers Along the Patient Journey in Alzheimer's Disease Using Social Media Data. Neurol Ther 2023; 12:899-918. [PMID: 37060417 PMCID: PMC10195971 DOI: 10.1007/s40120-023-00472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We speculated that social media data from Alzheimer's disease (AD) stakeholders (patients, caregivers, and clinicians) could identify barriers along the patient journey in AD, and that insights gained may help devise strategies to remove barriers, and ultimately improve the patient journey. METHODS Our sample was drawn from a repository of social media posts extracted from 112 public sources between January 1998 and December 2021 using natural language processing text-mining algorithms. The patient journey was classified into three phases: (1) early signs/experiences (Early Signs); (2) screening/assessment/diagnosis (Screening); and (3) treatment/management (Treatment). In the Early Signs phase, issues/challenges derived from a conceptual AD identification framework (ADIF) were examined. In subsequent phases, behavioral/psychiatric challenges, access/barriers to health care, screening/diagnostic methods, and symptomatic treatments for AD were identified. Posts were classified by AD stakeholder type or disease stage, if possible. RESULTS We identified 225,977 AD patient journey-related social media posts. Anxiety was a predominant issue/challenge in all patient journey phases. In the Screening and Treatment phases combined, access/barriers to care were described in 16% of posts; unwillingness/resistance to seeking care was a major barrier (≥ 75% of access-related posts across all stakeholders). Commonly identified structural barriers (e.g., affordability/cost, geography/transportation/distance) were more common in patient/caregiver posts than clinician posts. Among Screening-related posts, imaging/scans were commonly mentioned by all stakeholders; biomarkers were more commonly mentioned by patients than clinicians. Treatment-related concerns were identified in 17% of stakeholder-specified posts that named pharmacological agents/classes for the symptomatic management of AD. CONCLUSION This descriptive analysis of out-of-clinic experiences reflected in AD social media posts found that unwillingness/resistance to seeking care was a key barrier, followed by structural barriers to health care, such as affordability/cost. Insights from the lived experiences of AD stakeholders are valuable and highlight the need to improve the patient journey in AD and ease patient and caregiver burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared
- Eisai, Inc., 200 Metro Blvd, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA.
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Quanwu Zhang
- Eisai, Inc., 200 Metro Blvd, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
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Frederiksen KS, Lanctôt KL, Weidner W, Hahn-Pedersen JH, Mattke S. A Literature Review on the Burden of Alzheimer's Disease on Care Partners. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 96:947-966. [PMID: 37980660 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) are dependent on nonprofessional care partners. Providing informal care can result in emotional, physical, and financial burdens; however, there is a need for a better understanding of the impact of AD on care partners to support the clinical and economic assessment of potential new treatments. OBJECTIVE We conducted a literature review to evaluate the burden experienced by care partners of individuals with AD. METHODS Electronic screening and supplementary searches identified studies published from 2011 to 2022 describing the association between AD and the quality of life (QoL) and physical health of care partners, and the economic or financial burden of AD. RESULTS Following electronic screening, 62, 25, and 39 studies were included on care partner burden, cost, and healthcare resource use in AD, respectively. Supplementary searches identified an additional 32 studies, resulting in 149 unique studies. These studies showed that care partners of individuals with AD report moderate to severe burden. Higher burden and lower QoL were observed in those caring for individuals with more severe AD. Care partners of individuals with AD experience higher burden, lower QoL, and higher levels of stress, depression, and anxiety than those without caring responsibilities. Informal care costs increased with AD severity and accounted for the greatest proportion of overall societal cost. CONCLUSIONS Care partners of individuals with AD experience emotional and economic burden, which increases with AD severity. These impacts should be quantified comprehensively in future studies and captured in economic evaluations of AD interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Steen Frederiksen
- Danish Dementia Research Centre, Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Krista L Lanctôt
- Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Soeren Mattke
- Center for Economic and Social Research, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, US
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Tahami Monfared AA, Stern Y, Doogan S, Irizarry M, Zhang Q. Stakeholder Insights in Alzheimer's Disease: Natural Language Processing of Social Media Conversations. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 89:695-708. [PMID: 35938254 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social media data may be especially effective for studying diseases associated with high stigma, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVE We primarily aimed to identify issues/challenges experienced by patients with AD using natural language processing (NLP) of social media posts. METHODS We searched 130 public social media sources between January 1998 and December 2021 for AD stakeholder social media posts using NLP to identify issues/challenges experienced by patients with AD. Issues/challenges identified by ≥10% of any AD stakeholder type were described. Illustrative posts were selected for qualitative review. Secondarily, issues/challenges were organized into a conceptual AD identification framework (ADIF) and representation of ADIF categories within clinical instruments was assessed. RESULTS We analyzed 1,859,077 social media posts from 30,341 AD stakeholders (21,011 caregivers; 7,440 clinicians; 1,890 patients). The most common issues/challenges were Worry/anxiety (34.2%), Pain (33%), Malaise (28.7%), Confusional state (27.1%), and Falls (23.9%). Patients reported a markedly higher volume of issues/challenges than other stakeholders. Patient posts reflected the broader scope of patient burden, caregiver posts captured both patient and caregiver burden, and clinician posts tended to be targeted. Less than 5% of the high frequency issues/challenges were in the "function and independence" and "social and relational well-being" categories of the ADIF, suggesting these issues/challenges may be difficult to capture. No single clinical instrument covered all ADIF categories; "social and relational well-being" was least represented. CONCLUSION NLP of AD stakeholder social media data revealed a broad spectrum of real-world insights regarding patient burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared
- Eisai, Inc., Nutley, NJ, USA.,McGill University, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, Montreal (QC), Canada
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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Anderson MS, Bankole A, Homdee N, Mitchell BA, Byfield GE, Lach J. Dementia Caregiver Experiences and Recommendations for Using the Behavioral and Environmental Sensing and Intervention System at Home: Usability and Acceptability Study. JMIR Aging 2021; 4:e30353. [PMID: 34874886 PMCID: PMC8691404 DOI: 10.2196/30353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Caregiver burden associated with dementia-related agitation is one of the most common reasons for a community-dwelling person living with dementia to transition to a care facility. The Behavioral and Environmental Sensing and Intervention (BESI) for the Dementia Caregiver Empowerment system uses sensing technology, smartwatches, tablets, and data analytics to detect and predict agitation in persons living with dementia and to provide just-in-time notifications and dyad-specific intervention recommendations to caregivers. The BESI system has shown that there is a valid relationship between dementia-related agitation and environmental factors and that caregivers prefer a home-based monitoring system. Objective The aim of this study is to obtain input from caregivers of persons living with dementia on the value, usability, and acceptability of the BESI system in the home setting and obtain their insights and recommendations for the next stage of system development. Methods A descriptive qualitative design with thematic analysis was used to analyze 10 semistructured interviews with caregivers. The interviews comprised 16 questions, with an 80% (128/160) response rate. Results Postdeployment caregiver feedback about the BESI system and the overall experience were generally positive. Caregivers acknowledged the acceptability of the system by noting the ease of use and saw the system as a fit for them. Functionality issues such as timeliness in agitation notification and simplicity in the selection of agitation descriptors on the tablet interface were identified, and caregivers indicated a desire for more word options to describe agitation behaviors. Agitation intervention suggestions were well received by the caregivers, and the resulting decrease in the number and severity of agitation events helped confirm that the BESI system has good value and acceptability. Thematic analysis suggested several subjective experiences and yielded the themes of usefulness and helpfulness. Conclusions This study determined preferences for assessing caregiver strain and burden, explored caregiver acceptance of the technology system (in-home sensors, actigraph or smart watch technology, and tablet devices), discerned caregiver insights on the burden and stress of caring for persons living with dementia experiencing agitation in dementia, and solicited caregiver input and recommendations for system changes. The themes of usefulness and helpfulness support the use of caregiver knowledge and experience to inform further development of the technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha Smith Anderson
- Department of Health Care Innovation and Implementation Science, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Azziza Bankole
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Nutta Homdee
- Center for Research and Innovation, Faculty of Medical Technology, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Brook A Mitchell
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Grace E Byfield
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - John Lach
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States
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