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Mc Carthy M, Burrows K, Griffiths P, Black PM, Demanuele C, Karlsson N, Buenconsejo J, Patel N, Chen WH, Cappelleri JC. From Meaningful Outcomes to Meaningful Change Thresholds: A Path to Progress for Establishing Digital Endpoints. Ther Innov Regul Sci 2023; 57:629-645. [PMID: 37020160 DOI: 10.1007/s43441-023-00502-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines the use of digital endpoints (DEs) derived from digital health technologies (DHTs), focusing primarily on the specific considerations regarding the determination of meaningful change thresholds (MCT). Using DHTs in drug development is becoming more commonplace. There is general acceptance of the value of DHTs supporting patient-centric trial design, capturing data outside the traditional clinical trial setting, and generating DEs with the potential to be more sensitive to change than conventional assessments. However, the transition from exploratory endpoints to primary and secondary endpoints capable of supporting labeling claims requires these endpoints to be substantive with reproducible population-specific values. Meaningful change represents the amount of change in an endpoint measure perceived as important to patients and should be determined for each digital endpoint and given population under consideration. This paper examines existing approaches to determine meaningful change thresholds and explores examples of these methodologies and their use as part of DE development: emphasizing the importance of determining what aspects of health are important to patients and ensuring the DE captures these concepts of interest and aligns with the overarching endpoint strategy. Examples are drawn from published DE qualification documentation and responses to qualification submissions under review by the various regulatory authorities. It is the hope that these insights will inform and strengthen the development and validation of DEs as drug development tools, particularly for those new to the approaches to determine MCTs.
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AlMahadin G, Lotfi A, Carthy MM, Breedon P. Task-Oriented Intelligent Solution to Measure Parkinson's Disease Tremor Severity. J Healthc Eng 2021; 2021:9624386. [PMID: 34540191 PMCID: PMC8448616 DOI: 10.1155/2021/9624386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Tremor is a common symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Currently, tremor is evaluated clinically based on MDS-UPDRS Rating Scale, which is inaccurate, subjective, and unreliable. Precise assessment of tremor severity is the key to effective treatment to alleviate the symptom. Therefore, several objective methods have been proposed for measuring and quantifying PD tremor from data collected while patients performing scripted and unscripted tasks. However, up to now, the literature appears to focus on suggesting tremor severity classification methods without discrimination tasks effect on classification and tremor severity measurement. In this study, a novel approach to identify a recommended system is used to measure tremor severity, including the influence of tasks performed during data collection on classification performance. The recommended system comprises recommended tasks, classifier, classifier hyperparameters, and resampling technique. The proposed approach is based on the above-average rule of five advanced metrics results of four subdatasets, six resampling techniques, six classifiers besides signal processing, and features extraction techniques. The results of this study indicate that tasks that do not involve direct wrist movements are better than tasks that involve direct wrist movements for tremor severity measurements. Furthermore, resampling techniques improve classification performance significantly. The findings of this study suggest that a recommended system consists of support vector machine (SVM) classifier combined with BorderlineSMOTE oversampling technique and data collection while performing set of recommended tasks, which are sitting, stairs up and down, walking straight, walking while counting, and standing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghayth AlMahadin
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Ahmad Lotfi
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
| | | | - Philip Breedon
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, UK
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AlMahadin G, Lotfi A, Zysk E, Siena FL, Carthy MM, Breedon P. Parkinson's disease: current assessment methods and wearable devices for evaluation of movement disorder motor symptoms - a patient and healthcare professional perspective. BMC Neurol 2020; 20:419. [PMID: 33208135 PMCID: PMC7677815 DOI: 10.1186/s12883-020-01996-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease is the second most common long-term chronic, progressive, neurodegenerative disease, affecting more than 10 million people worldwide. There has been a rising interest in wearable devices for evaluation of movement disorder diseases such as Parkinson's disease due to the limitations in current clinic assessment methods such as Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and the Hoehn and Yahr (HY) scale. However, there are only a few commercial wearable devices available, which, in addition, have had very limited adoption and implementation. This inconsistency may be due to a lack of users' perspectives in terms of device design and implementation. This study aims to identify the perspectives of healthcare professionals and patients linked to current assessment methods and to identify preferences, and requirements of wearable devices. METHODS This was a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews followed by focus groups. Transcripts from sessions were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. RESULTS It was noted that the well-known assessment process such as Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) was not used routinely in clinics since it is time consuming, subjective, inaccurate, infrequent and dependent on patients' memories. Participants suggested that objective assessment methods are needed to increase the chance of effective treatment. The participants' perspectives were positive toward using wearable devices, particularly if they were involved in early design stages. Patients emphasized that the devices should be comfortable, but they did not have any concerns regarding device visibility or data privacy transmitted over the internet when it comes to their health. In terms of wearing a monitor, the preferable part of the body for all participants was the wrist. Healthcare professionals stated a need for an economical solution that is easy to interpret. Some design aspects identified by patients included clasps, material choice, and form factor. CONCLUSION The study concluded that current assessment methods are limited. Patients' and healthcare professionals' involvement in wearable devices design process has a pivotal role in terms of ultimate user acceptance. This includes the provision of additional functions to the wearable device, such as fall detection and medication reminders, which could be attractive features for patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghayth AlMahadin
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Ahmad Lotfi
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK
| | - Eva Zysk
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia in Vancouver, West Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Francesco Luke Siena
- School Of Architecture Design & Built Environment, Nottingham Trent University, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ, UK
| | | | - Philip Breedon
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham, NG11 8NS, UK.
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Donnelly S, Reginatto B, Kearns O, Mc Carthy M, Byrom B, Muehlhausen W, Caulfield B. The Burden of a Remote Trial in a Nursing Home Setting: Qualitative Study. J Med Internet Res 2018; 20:e220. [PMID: 29921563 PMCID: PMC6030571 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.9638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Despite an aging population, older adults are typically underrecruited in clinical trials, often because of the perceived burden associated with participation, particularly travel associated with clinic visits. Conducting a clinical trial remotely presents an opportunity to leverage mobile and wearable technologies to bring the research to the patient. However, the burden associated with shifting clinical research to a remote site requires exploration. While a remote trial may reduce patient burden, the extent to which this shifts burden on the other stakeholders needs to be investigated. Objective The aim of this study was to explore the burden associated with a remote trial in a nursing home setting on both staff and residents. Methods Using results from a grounded analysis of qualitative data, this study explored and characterized the burden associated with a remote trial conducted in a nursing home in Dublin, Ireland. A total of 11 residents were recruited to participate in this trial (mean age: 80 years; age range: 67-93 years). To support research activities, we also recruited 10 nursing home staff members, including health care assistants, an activities co-ordinator, and senior nurses. This study captured the lived experience of this remote trial among staff and residents and explored the burden associated with participation. At the end of the trial, a total of 6 residents and 8 members of staff participated in semistructured interviews (n=14). They reviewed clinical data generated by mobile and wearable devices and reflected upon their trial-related experiences. Results Staff reported extensive burden in fulfilling their roles and responsibilities to support activities of the trial. Among staff, we found eight key characteristics of burden: (1) comprehension, (2) time, (3) communication, (4) emotional load, (5) cognitive load, (6) research engagement, (7) logistical burden, and (8) product accountability. Residents reported comparatively less burden. Among residents, we found only four key characteristics of burden: (1) comprehension, (2) adherence, (3) emotional load, and (4) personal space. Conclusions A remote trial in a nursing home setting can minimize the burden on residents and enable inclusive participation. However, it arguably creates additional burden on staff, particularly where they have a role to play in locally supporting and maintaining technology as part of data collection. Future research should examine how to measure and minimize the burden associated with data collection in remote trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susie Donnelly
- Applied Research for Connected Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Brenda Reginatto
- Applied Research for Connected Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Oisin Kearns
- Applied Research for Connected Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | | | | | | | - Brian Caulfield
- Applied Research for Connected Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Byrom B, Watson C, Doll H, Coons SJ, Eremenco S, Ballinger R, Mc Carthy M, Crescioni M, O'Donohoe P, Howry C. Selection of and Evidentiary Considerations for Wearable Devices and Their Measurements for Use in Regulatory Decision Making: Recommendations from the ePRO Consortium. Value Health 2018; 21:631-639. [PMID: 29909867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jval.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Wearable devices offer huge potential to collect rich sources of data to provide insights into the effects of treatment interventions. Despite this, at the time of writing this report, limited regulatory guidance on the use of wearables in clinical trial programs has been published. OBJECTIVES To present recommendations from the Critical Path Institute's Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Consortium regarding the selection and evaluation of wearable devices and their measurements for use in regulatory trials and to support labeling claims. METHODS The evaluation group was composed of Critical Path Institute's clinical outcome assessment (COA) scientists and COA specialists from pharmaceutical trial eCOA solution providers, including COA development and validation specialists. The resulting recommendations were drawn from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and expertise that enriched the development of this report. Recommendations were developed through analysis of existing regulatory guidance relating to COA development and use in clinical trials, medical device certification/clearance regulations, literature-reported best practice, and practical experience of wearable technology application in clinical trials. RESULTS We identify the essential properties of fit-for-purpose wearables and propose evidence needed to support their use. In addition, we overview the activities required to establish clinical endpoints derived from wearables data. CONCLUSIONS Using this framework, we believe there is enough current understanding to promote the appropriate use of wearables in study protocols. We hope this will provide a basis for discussion among clinical trial stakeholders and catalyze the development of more robust regulatory guidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bill Byrom
- ICON Clinical Research, Marlow, Buckinghamshire, UK.
| | | | - Helen Doll
- ICON Clinical Research, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK
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