Levels Of Treatment Adherence Research Articles

Design of Incentive Programs for Optimal Medication Adherence

Premature cessation of antibiotic therapy (non-adherence) is common in long treatment regimens, and can severely compromise health outcomes. In this work, we investigate the problem of designing a schedule of incentive payments to induce socially-optimal treatment adherence levels in the presence of (a) budget constraints, (b) heterogeneous patient preferences for treatment adherence, which are furthermore (c) unobservable to the social planner. Although similar incentive design problems have been studied in the field of contract theory, a unique challenge in this problem is that any prior commitment that a patient makes to a given level of treatment adherence typically cannot be enforced and contracted upon in practice. Incorporating non-contractibility into the model renders standard contract-theoretic models and analyses inapplicable. Consequently, we had to develop new approaches to handle this problem feature. In an extension, we consider how an additional constraint can be put on the shape of the incentive payment schedule: this constraint is motivated by pragmatic issues of implementing such incentive payments in resource-poor clinics serving a primarily low-income population. We show that the optimal payment schedule can be constructed through the solution of a single convex optimization problem in the base case and a sequence of convex optimization problems in the extension. In our numerical analysis, we conduct a simulation study based on representative data in the context of the tuberculosis epidemic in India. Our simulation shows that using either the base case or extension incentive schedules to encourage treatment adherence would be very cost-effective, although costs may vary widely across incentive schedule functional forms.

Characteristics of patients with dyslipidemia treated in routine care setting in China

Objective: To describe characteristics of patients with dyslipidemia treated in routine care in China overall and stratified by diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD).Methods: This study used data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in China in 2017 under the Dyslipidemia Disease Specific Programme (DSP). Each surveyed physician provided information including demographics, dyslipidemia diagnosis and treatment history, lab values on at least 8 patients currently treated for dyslipidemia with oversampling of patients with ASCVD or diabetes mellitus diagnosis at the time of survey. A related patient survey assessed treatment adherence and satisfaction.Results: This study included 195 physicians (40 endocrinologists, 75 internists, 80 cardiologists) who provided data on 1870 patients (852 with diabetes; 1018 patients without diabetes). Among patients with diabetes, 279 had ASCVD and 573 did not (non-ASCVD). In the diabetic population, patients with ASCVD were older (67.3 vs. 62.1 years), more often had caregiver support (34 vs. 14%), and had higher average LDL-C at diagnosis (172.4 vs. 167.4 mg/dL) compared to their non-ASCVD counterparts. Findings were similar for non-diabetic patients (ASCVD: 323 patients; non-ASCVD: 695) patients. In all four subgroups, 46–54% of patients reported low treatment adherence, and fewer than half expressed satisfaction with their cholesterol control, and 2–5% had LDL-C < 70 mg/dL at their most recent assessment.Conclusions: Among patients with dyslipidemia, those with ASCVD had higher LDL-C levels than patients without ASCVD, and many required caregiving. Low levels of treatment adherence, LDL-C control, and patient satisfaction suggest opportunities to improve care for Chinese patients with dyslipidemia.

Adherence and quality of life among diabetic patients with hypertension

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;The level of treatment adherence and quality of life are not known in diabetic patients with hypertension. The study aim was to evaluate the level of adherence and quality of life of diabetic patients with hypertension in Bantul Public Hospital (BPH), Bantul, Indonesia.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;This&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt; study used a Cross-sectional method by conducting a survey through a direct interview with the patient. Participants of this study were 143 diabetic patients with hypertension in the internal disease clinic of BPH. Modified Morisky Medication Adherence Scale was used to measure the level of treatment adherence and SF36 questionnaires were used to measure the quality of life. Descriptive and analytical statistical was performed on data from the adherence assessment, quality of life, demographic characteristic and the clinical condition of the research participant. Bivariate analysis with &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="IN"&gt;C&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;hi-square was performed to assess the relationship between demographic and clinical factors to the high level of adherence. The majority of respondents had moderate and low levels of adherence. There were 34 patients (23.78%) with a high level of adherence, 56 patients (39.16%) with moderate level of adherence, and 53 patients (37.06%) with low level of adherence. Respondents also had low quality of life, in which the average score of quality of life was 61.96±12.48. Male and college-educated patients have higher adherence (OR&amp;gt;1, p&amp;lt;0.05) compared to other groups. Medication adherence and quality of life of diabetic patients with hypertension in BPH were relatively low. Male and high college-educated patients were associated with high levels of adherence&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Adesão à terapêutica nos doentes com esquizofrenia: uma revisão da literatura

Resumo: Introdução: Avaliar a adesão ao tratamento com agentes antipsicóticos em doentes com esquizofrenia é um desafio para qualquer médico psiquiatra, dada a subjetividade inerente ao tema. Apesar disso, a falta de adesão à terapêutica é prejudicial para o curso clínico da doença, resultando num risco aumentado de agudizações da doença e de internamentos hospitalares. O objetivo do presente estudo é rever a literatura corrente relativa aos fatores que influenciam a adesão ao tratamento antipsicótico em doentes com esquizofrenia. Métodos: Foi revista a literatura escrita em inglês entre 2006 e 2016 integralmente disponível no PubMed/MEDLINE que avaliasse potenciais fatores de risco para a adesão ao tratamento em doentes adultos (com mais de 18 anos) com esquizofrenia, através das palavras-chave: adherence, nonadherence, compliance, noncompliance, schizophrenia, psychosis, antipsychotic, neuroleptic. Resultados: Foram incluídos 39 estudos na revisão final. A média dos níveis de adesão ao tratamento foi de 32%. Foram identificados os seguintes fatores de risco para a falta de adesão ao tratamento: idade jovem, abuso de substâncias, psicopatologia psicótica presente, ausência de insight sobre a doença e a necessidade de tratamento, atitudes negativas perante o tratamento, relação médico-doente de má qualidade ou falta de apoio social e familiar. Conclusões: As intervenções direcionadas para melhorar a adesão à terapêutica devem ser individualizadas para cada doente, baseadas numa história clínica completa, para que todos os aspetos individuais que contribuam para esta variável possam ser convenientemente avaliados.

Comparison of Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence Among HIV-Infected Older Adults with Younger Adults in Africa: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

As access to antiretroviral treatment in low- and middle-income countries improves, the number of older adults (aged ≥ 50 years) living with HIV is increasing. This study compares the adherence to antiretroviral treatment among older adults to that of younger adults living in Africa. We searched PubMed, Medline, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, Google Scholar and EMBASE for keywords (HIV, ART, compliance, adherence, age, Africa) on publications from 1st Jan 2000 to 1st March 2016. Eligible studies were pooled for meta-analysis using a random-effects model, with the odds ratio as the primary outcome. Twenty studies were included, among them were five randomised trials and five cohort studies. Overall, we pooled data for 148,819 individuals in two groups (older and younger adults) and found no significant difference in adherence between them [odds ratio (OR) 1.01; 95% CI 0.94–1.09]. Subgroup analyses of studies using medication possession ratio and clinician counts to measure adherence revealed higher proportions of older adults were adherent to medication regimens compared with younger adults (OR 1.06; 95% CI 1.02–1.11). Antiretroviral treatment adherence levels among older and younger adults in Africa are comparable. Further research is required to identify specific barriers to adherence in the aging HIV affected population in Africa which will help in development of interventions to improve their clinical outcomes and quality of life.

The effect of motivational interviews on treatment adherence and insight levels of patients with schizophrenia: A randomized controlled study

To examine the effect of motivational interview (MI) on treatment adherence and insight of the patients diagnosed with schizophrenia at a hospital in Turkey. Individuals with schizophrenia, who match with the sample characteristics, were assigned to intervention (20) and control groups (20) according to the randomization schedule. Personal Information Form, Self-Reported Measure of Medication Adherence, and Schedule for Assessing the Three Components of Insight were used. Group-wise examinations showed that mean scores of "three component scales of insight" yielded statistically significant difference for the intervention group. Analysis of the Treatment Adherence Scale Mean Scores showed a significant difference for interval mean scores of the intervention group. Both the pyschiatric patients and the health institutions can benefit from increased levels of treatment adherence and insight by the adoption of the MI methods starting with a patient's first registration to a psychiatric outpatient clinic. MI can be included during any of the patient visits to establish treatment collaboration with psychiatric patients at psychiatric facilities, outpatient clinics, and community mental health centers.

High treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and health-related quality of life with fingolimod in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis - results from a 24-month, multicenter, open-label Danish study.

PurposeTreatment adherence is a prerequisite for treatment success and therefore an important consideration to assure that therapeutic goals are achieved both from a patient point of view and for optimal health care resource utilization. Published data on treatment adherence with fingolimod (Gilenya®) are limited. Therefore, this study investigated treatment adherence in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) treated with fingolimod in Denmark.Patients and methodsThis was a 24-month, multicenter, open-label study, investigating treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and health-related quality of life (QoL) in RRMS patients treated with fingolimod. In addition, the effect of a motivational interview support program on these measures was evaluated. Treatment adherence was assessed by pill count. Treatment satisfaction, motivation, and QoL were assessed by patient-reported outcomes (PROs).ResultsA total of 195 patients were enrolled in the study. A very high treatment adherence was observed during the entire study with no statistically significant difference between study visits before (99%) and after (97%) the motivational interview. In accordance, a high level of treatment satisfaction was found in the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication 9, which was scored high throughout the study with the highest scores seen for the convenience domain (ranging from 94.51 to 95.78). Furthermore, additional PROs demonstrated a high health-related QoL, a self-determined form of motivation for taking medication, and a patient perception of an autonomy supportive approach provided by the health care provider, at all study visits.ConclusionHigh levels of treatment adherence, satisfaction, motivation, and QoL were observed in Danish RRMS patients treated with fingolimod. As these positive measures were observed at all study visits and throughout the study, no effect of the motivational interview support program was found.

MONITORING OF LIFE QUALITY, PSYCHOLOGICAL STATUS AND TREATMENT ADHERENCE AT PREVENTION EVENTS IN LOCAL POLYCLINICS

Aim. Comparative analysis of life quality (LQ), psychological status and treatment adherence in patients before and after prevention events in local polyclinics. Material and methods. In the study, both gender persons participated (n=1082), age 21-70 y.o., registered as dispensary in the polyclinics of MBHI “Clinical Consulting-Diagnostical Center” of Kemerovo. During 6 months, two groups were followed up, comparable by the mean level of the main modifiable risk factors. Main group patients underwent primary risk measurement and further investigation with innovative approach to medical prevention, based on differential group training. All participants, before and after the prevention events were assessed for LQ, psychological status, treatment adherence. Results. In patients under dispensary follow up in local polyclinics, there were revealed: predominance of middle level of physical component and low level of psychological component of LQ; high level of chronic psychoemotional stress, anxiety and depression; high level of treatment adherence. The efficacy shown, of the performed prevention events. In intervention group there was significant positive dynamics almost in all scales of SF-36. Self-rating increased for the health self-evaluation and for treatment perspectives — GH (p=0,0001), psychoemotional background improved — RE (p=0,0001), social — SF (p=0,001) and life activity — VT (p=0,0089), the levels of situational and trait anxiety decreased (p=0,001 and p=0,0047 respectively), treatment adherence increased (p=0,00043). Conclusion. By the results of the study, the differences revealed in LQ, psychoemotional status and treatment adherence in the main patients group, who were managed with an innovative clinical organizational approach, and in comparison group. LQ of the main group patients by all SF-36 scales significantly improved, levels decreased of psychoemotional stress, anxiety and depression. Innovative methods of prevention work in local polyclinics facilitate improvement of LQ, patient’s responsibility for self-health care; shape rational and active attitude towards the disease, motivation to be healthier, treatment adherence and compliance to clinician recommendations.

Pharmacokinetic drug evaluation of daclizumab for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis

ABSTRACT Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Despite the availability of several disease-modifying therapies for relapsing MS, there is a need for highly efficacious targeted therapy with a favorable benefit–risk profile and a high level of treatment adherence. Daclizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against CD25, the α subunit of the high-affinity interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor, that reversibly modulates IL-2 signaling. Areas covered: Daclizumab blocks the activation and expansion of autoreactive T cells that plays a role in the immune pathogenesis of MS. As its modulatory effects on the immune system, daclizumab’s potential for use in MS was tested extensively showing a high efficacy in reducing relapse rate, disability progression and the number and volume of gadolinium-enhancing lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Moreover, phase II and III trials showed a favorable pharmacokinetic (PK) profile with slow clearance, linear pharmacokinetics at doses above 100 mg and high subcutaneous bioavailability, not influenced by age, sex or other clinical parameters. Expert opinion: Among the new emerging drugs for MS, daclizumab also, thanks to a favorable PK profile, may represent an interesting and promising therapeutic option in the wide MS therapies armamentarium.

Satisfaction and quality of life of allergic patients following sublingual five-grass pollen tablet immunotherapy in Spain.

BackgroundFive-grass pollen tablet is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (ARC). This trial sought to determine the satisfaction and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients undergoing this treatment.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional, multicentre, observational, naturalistic study, following a discontinuous pre- and co-seasonal five-grass pollen regimen over two seasons in Spain (2012, 2013). The HRQoL of the patients was measured with the specific Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (RQLQ) for adults, adolescent (AdolRQLQ), or paediatric (PRQLQ) patients. Treatment satisfaction was assessed by the Satisfaction Scale for Patients Receiving Allergen Immunotherapy (ESPIA) questionnaire. Patients/investigators were surveyed on beliefs and attitudes towards the five-grass pollen tablet. ARC evolution according to allergic rhinitis and its impact on asthma (ARIA) criteria and treatment adherence were evaluated.ResultsAmong the 591 ARC patients included, the mean (SD) HRQoL scores were 1.40 (1.1) in adults, 1.33 (1.1) in adolescents, and 1.15 (1.1) in children, indicating low levels of impairment (scale 0–6). ESPIA answers showed high levels of satisfaction, with an average score of 69.2 (scale 0–100). According to ARIA criteria, 88.2% of patients reported improvement of ARC. Moreover, this was accompanied by a reduced use of symptomatic medication. Adherence to treatment was estimated at 96.8%. In general, both patients and specialists exhibited a positive attitude towards five-grass pollen tablet treatment.ConclusionARC patients treated with five-grass pollen tablet showed favourable levels of HRQoL and treatment satisfaction, with concomitant improvements in ARC and symptomatic medication use, which translated into high levels of treatment adherence and a positive attitude towards five-grass pollen tablet.

The Effect of Psychosocial Factors and Patients' Perception of Tuberculosis Treatment Non-Adherence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Although there are several studies reported on factors affecting tuberculosis (TB) treatment non-adherence, there is information gap on psychosocial and patients' perceptions aspects. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the effect of psychosocial factors and patients' perceptions on TB treatment non-adherence in Ethiopia. A cross sectional study was conducted in Addis Ababa from May to December, 2014. Thirty one health facilities were randomly selected and 698 TB patients, who had been on treatment, were enrolled consecutively using patient registration number. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data on demographics, knowledge, psychological distress, alcohol use, tobacco smoking and six HBM domains. Treatment adherence level was the main outcome variable, and it measured using visual analog scale. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 20 was used for data analysis. Non-adherence level within last one month prior to the study was 19.5%. After controlling for all potential confounding variables, Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) status (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.79, 95% Confidence interval (CI) (1.09 -2.95)), alcohol use (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI (1.33-3.37)), economic status (AOR = 0.53, 95% CI (0.33-0.82)), perceived barriers (AOR = 1.21, 95% CI (1.10-1.47)) and psychological distress (AOR = 1.83, 95% CI (1.47-2.29)) were independently associated with TB treatment non-adherence. ART status, economic status, alcohol use, perceived barrier and psychological distress are the major areas that need to be targeted with health promotion intervention to enhance TB treatment adherence.

Perceived Benefits to Treatment Adherence, Perceived Barriers to Treatment Adherence, and Level of Treatment Adherence among Indonesian Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

The purpose of this descriptive correlation study is to describe the level of perceived benefits and the level of perceived barriers to treatment adherence and the level of treatment adherence, and to examine the relationship between these variables and level of treatment adherence among Indonesian older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study is important for health care providers and no one has reported a study done on this population. Purposive sampling technique was used to recruit study participants among members of PERSADIA (Indonesian Diabetes Association) in Bandar Lampung city, Indonesia. There were 164 participants that met the inclusion criteria, and the study had 100% response rate. Each consenting participant was asked to fill in the demographic and health information form and a scaled questionnaire on perceived benefits to treatment adherence, perceived barriers to treatment adherence for treatment adherence, and treatment adherence. Three experts on diabetes validated the instruments and Cronbach’s alpha of the reliability test was high. The data analysis used descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation test. The findings show that the level of perceived benefits to treatment adherence was high, perceived barriers to treatment adherence was low, and level of treatment adherence moderate. There is a significant positive correlation between perceived benefits to treatment adherence and level of treatment adherence and a significant negative correlation between perceived barriers to treatment adherence and perceived benefits to treatment adherence and level of treatment adherence. The positive perception of treatment adherence among Indonesian older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus is attributable in part to the supportive roles of the health care providers and the family members of the study participants.

Extrapyramidal side effects and functional remission in schizophrenia

Treating patients with schizophrenia has evolved towards including, as an effective goal, their functional remission. Beyond the discrepancies in this concept definition, a plethora of studies has been conducted trying to identify predictors of functioning in schizophrenia. Among which antipsychotic prescription and related side effects.AimExplore extrapyramidal side effects link with functional prognosis of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study in the psychiatry department “C”, in Razi hospital (Tunis), between October 2014 and March 2015. Sixty patients suffering from schizophrenia spectrum disorder (DSM IV-R) were included. Functional status was explored with the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS) and the Social Autonomy Scale (EAS). Extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) were evaluated using the Simpson and Angus Rating Scale (SAS).ResultsFunctional remission was achieved according to GAF, SOFAS and EAS in respectively: 63,30%, 48,30% and 51,70% of the patients. SAS mean score was 0.898 ± 0.29 (0.4–2). Although SAS showed no significant association with GAF, SOFAS and EAS global scores, patient with less EPS had better autonomy in EAS’ dimension “Relationship with the outside” (P = 0.048).ConclusionEPS may influence functional remission at several levels starting from the neurobiological to the social stigmatization and the treatment adherence levels. Further research in this matter is required.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Risk Factors for Mortality among Adult HIV/AIDS Patients Following Antiretroviral Therapy in Southwestern Ethiopia: An Assessment through Survival Models.

Introduction: Efforts have been made to reduce HIV/AIDS-related mortality by delivering antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatment. However, HIV patients in resource-poor settings are still dying, even if they are on ART treatment. This study aimed to explore the factors associated with HIV/AIDS-related mortality in Southwestern Ethiopia. Method: A non-concurrent retrospective cohort study which collected data from the clinical records of adult HIV/AIDS patients, who initiated ART treatment and were followed between January 2006 and December 2010, was conducted, to explore the factors associated with HIV/AIDS-related mortality at Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH). Survival times (i.e., the time from the onset of ART treatment to the death or censoring) and different characteristics of patients were retrospectively examined. A best-fit model was chosen for the survival data, after the comparison between native semi-parametric Cox regression and parametric survival models (i.e., exponential, Weibull, and log-logistic). Result: A total of 456 HIV patients were included in the study, mostly females (312, 68.4%), with a median age of 30 years (inter-quartile range (IQR): 23–37 years). Estimated follow-up until December 2010 accounted for 1245 person-years at risk (PYAR) and resulted in 66 (14.5%) deaths and 390 censored individuals, representing a median survival time of 34.0 months ( IQR: 22.8–42.0 months). The overall mortality rate was 5.3/100 PYAR: 6.5/100 PYAR for males and 4.8/100 PYAR for females. The Weibull survival model was the best model for fitting the data (lowest AIC). The main factors associated with mortality were: baseline age (>35 years old, AHR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.6–9.1), baseline weight (AHR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.90–0.97), baseline WHO stage IV (AHR = 6.2, 95% CI: 2.2–14.2), and low adherence to ART treatment (AHR = 4.2, 95% CI: 2.5–7.1). Conclusion: An effective reduction in HIV/AIDS mortality could be achieved through timely ART treatment onset and maintaining high levels of treatment adherence.

A community-based study to assess the treatment adherence and its determinants among hypertensive patients residing in a rural area of Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu

Background: Hypertension exerts a massive public health burden on cardiovascular health and health system in India. Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the level of treatment adherence among the known hypertensive patients in a rural community and identify the determinants for non-adherence to treatment among them. Materials and Methods: A community-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted for 2 months in Sembakkam and Kottamedu villages under the rural field practice area of a medical college among known cases of hypertension diagnosed and initiated on antihypertensive therapy at least 3 months back. A total of 170 hypertensive patients were included as study participants using random sampling, and the desired information was obtained using a semi-structured schedule, and details about treatment adherence based on the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee before the start of the study. Written informed consent was obtained from the study participants before eliciting any information from them. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 18. Frequency distributions were calculated for all the variables. Chi-square test was used for testing the significance of association at P = 0.05. Results: Among the study participants, 81 (47.6%) had good medication adherence, whereas 89 (52.4%) had poor adherence. A statistically significant association was observed between indulging in regular physical activity and use of salt-restricted diet and a good level of treatment adherence. Poor adherence to treatment was found more commonly among patients who were prescribed multiple antihypertensive drugs and those with more than once daily dose formulation. Conclusion: The study indicates that prevalence of treatment adherence among hypertensive patients in rural areas of Tamil Nadu was only 47.6% and there is a lot of scope for improvement. The study has also identified the crucial factors responsible for non-compliance to antihypertensive treatment which can assist the health-care policy makers to formulate a comprehensive strategy to achieve adequate compliance.

Dynamics of hyperphenylalaninemia and intellectual outcome in teenagers with phenylketonuria.

Insufficient treatment adherence after early childhood is frequently observed in patients with phenylketonuria. Assessment of these individuals' long-term metabolic control could enable early detection of the risk of intellectual deterioration resulting from high blood phenylalanine concentration. However, the predictive value of specific parameters related to individual dynamics of hyperphenylalaninemia is not clear. Here, we assessed the impact of blood phenylalanine fluctuations during the first 12 years of life on cognitive outcome in early and continuously treated teenagers with phenylketonuria. We have analyzed a total of 5141 results of blood phenylalanine measurements in 32 patients. The phenylalanine levels of these patients were usually acceptable during their early childhood, but the control of hyperphenylalaninemia worsened and the average treatment adherence dropped to 40% during the late primary school. Our analysis revealed a strong association between the Wechsler intelligence verbal scores and the mean of the yearly means of phenylalanine concentrations (r=-0.62). The correlations of IQ scores with median phenylalanine concentrations and the variability of blood phenylalanine levels gave weaker associations. The Wechsler verbal scores were also strongly correlated with the treatment adherence level during preschool and late primary school (r=0.61 and 0.72). The mean of the yearly means of blood phenylalanine concentrations appears to be a better predictor of cognitive outcome in children with phenylketonuria than other parameters related to phenylalanine fluctuations. The percentage of acceptable phenylalanine levels below 50-60% should be regarded as a "red flag" due to the risk of intellectual deterioration in patients.

Caregiver-reported antiretroviral therapy non-adherence during the first week and after a month of treatment initiation among children diagnosed with HIV in Ethiopia

ABSTRACTTo achieve optimal virologic suppression for children undergoing antiretroviral therapy (ART), adherence must be excellent. This is defined as taking more than 95% of their prescribed doses. To our knowledge, no study in Ethiopia has evaluated the level of treatment adherence at the beginning of the child’s treatment. Our aim was therefore to evaluate caregiver-reported ART non-adherence among children and any predictors for this during the early course of treatment. We conducted a prospective cohort study of 306 children with HIV in eight health facilities in Ethiopia who were registered at ART clinics between 20 December 2014 and 20 April 2015. The adherence rate reported by caregivers during the first week and after a month of treatment initiation was 92.8% and 93.8%, respectively. Our findings highlight important predictors of non-adherence. Children whose caregivers were not undergoing HIV treatment and care themselves were less likely to be non-adherent during the first week of treatment (aOR = 0.17, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.71) and the children whose caregivers did not use a medication reminder after one month of treatment initiation (aOR = 5.21, 95% CI: 2.23, 12.16) were more likely to miss the prescribed dose. Moreover, after one month of the treatment initiation, those receiving protease inhibitor (LPV/r) or ABC-based treatment regimens were more likely to be non-adherent (aOR = 12.32, 95% CI: 3.25, 46.67). To promote treatment adherence during ART initiation in children, particular emphasis needs to be placed on a baseline treatment regimen and ways to issue reminders about the child’s medication to both the health care system and caregivers. Further, large scale studies using a combination of adherence measuring methods upon treatment initiation are needed to better define the magnitude and predictors of ART non-adherence in resource-limited settings.

Assessing usability of the “Adherence Starts with Knowledge 20” (ASK-20) questionnaire for Japanese adults with bronchial asthma receiving inhaled corticosteroids long term

BackgroundMaintaining high treatment adherence levels is critical for effective management of chronic diseases. The Adherence Starts with Knowledge 20 (ASK-20) questionnaire is the only linguistically validated patient-reported treatment adherence tool available in Japan. We conducted additional analyses on ASK-20 data from Japanese adults with asthma. MethodsThis was a prospective, non-interventional, single-visit, multi-centre study in Japanese adults (n = 300) with asthma receiving long-term treatment with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) or ICS/long-acting beta-agonists. We tested the reliability, validity and the relationship between different adherence conditions and ASK-20 score. At one centre, ICS adherence prescription rate was calculated retrospectively based on 2-year percentage ICS adherence data contained within medical records. ResultsThe ASK-20 had good internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.76; n = 290). Discriminant validity was demonstrated with significant correlations between the percentage ICS adherence rates and both the mean ASK-20 total score and mean total barrier count (TBC) (r = −0.51 and −0.58, p < 0.001; n = 111). The ASK-20 total score discriminated between subjects with good and poor adherence measured by patients' reported questionnaire and between those of high and low percentage ICS adherence rates. All other factors that possibly affect adherence were correlated with the mean ASK-20 total score and mean TBC in addition to the number of medicines taken every day. ConclusionsThe Japanese ASK-20 is a reliable tool for assessing possible medication adherence barriers and adherence behaviour in Japanese adults with asthma. Furthermore, our results are comparable with those obtained using the ASK-20 in the United States.

Therapeutic efficacy of monthly subcutaneous injection of daclizumab in relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Despite the availability of multiple disease-modifying therapies for relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), there remains a need for highly efficacious targeted therapy with a favorable benefit–risk profile and attributes that encourage a high level of treatment adherence. Daclizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against CD25, the α subunit of the high-affinity interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor, that reversibly modulates IL-2 signaling. Daclizumab treatment leads to antagonism of proinflammatory, activated T lymphocyte function and expansion of immunoregulatory CD56bright natural killer cells, and has the potential to, at least in part, rectify the imbalance between immune tolerance and autoimmunity in relapsing MS. The clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of subcutaneous daclizumab have been evaluated extensively in a large clinical study program. In pivotal studies, daclizumab demonstrated superior efficacy in reducing clinical and radiologic measures of MS disease activity compared with placebo or intramuscular interferon beta-1a, a standard-of-care therapy for relapsing MS. The risk of hepatic disorders, cutaneous events, and infections was modestly increased. The monthly subcutaneous self-injection dosing regimen of daclizumab may be advantageous in maintaining patient adherence to treatment, which is important for optimal outcomes with MS disease-modifying therapy. Daclizumab has been approved in the US and in the European Union and represents an effective new treatment option for patients with relapsing forms of MS, and is currently under review by other regulatory agencies.

Does Hepatitis C Treatment Adherence Affect Risk of Liver Transplantation? A Historical Cohort Study.

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the primary cause of liver failure leading to transplantation, and medication adherence is essential to the therapeutic efficacy of HCV treatments. While there is evidence linking poor adherence with increased utilization and cost, published literature lacks examination of the association between medication adherence and risk of liver transplant. In addition, the impact of HCV treatment on total costs of liver transplantation is not well documented. To compare (a) the relative risk of liver transplant by adherence in patients treated for HCV and (b) the total health care costs in treated and untreated patients who require liver transplant. This observational, historical cohort study was conducted using administrative data from the Humana Research Database. To be included, patients were required to have a documented HCV diagnosis or treatment between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2013. Patients were excluded if they had a hepatitis B diagnosis, were not fully insured by a commercial or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan, or were outside the age range of 19-89 years. No minimum pre- or post-index enrollment period was required, and patients were followed for their entire post-index enrollment through December 31, 2013. The study population was divided into treated and untreated groups and then subdivided by presence or absence of a liver transplant. Date of liver transplant was defined as the index date for untreated liver transplant patients; otherwise, the index date was defined as either the date of first observed HCV treatment or diagnosis date (if no treatment or liver transplant). Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the relative risk of liver transplant by level of treatment adherence (> 80%, 50%-79%, and < 50%) based on proportion of days covered. General linearized models with log link and gamma distribution were used to compare median total health care costs from index date until end of study period (or death/disenrollment, whichever came first) between treated and untreated liver transplant patients. All costs were converted to 2013 U.S. dollars and reported as total costs per patient and per patient per month (PPPM) to account for varying follow-up periods. Of the 53,423 patients identified with HCV, 10,377 met exclusion criteria, leaving 43,046 patients (primarily Caucasian, males, mean age of 58 years) in the initial cohort. Only 6.29% (n = 2,708) of the total HCV cohort received HCV treatment, and less than 1% (n = 366, 0.8%) received a liver transplant. Although there were no significant differences in the risk of liver transplant by adherence level, there was an upwards trend in the rate of liver transplant as adherence worsened (> 80%: 1.25%; 50%-79%: 1.30%; and < 50%: 1.99%), and the average days to liver transplant was longer with higher adherence (> 80%: 683; 50%-79%: 623; < 50%: 454). Only 48 (13.11%) patients who received a liver transplant were treated for HCV. Adjusted median total and PPPM health care costs measured from index date until end of the study period were significantly higher for patients who received HCV treatment compared with those who did not (total=$231,139 vs. $86,167, adjusted P < 0.001; PPPM=$20,583 vs. $5,778, adjusted P = 0.008), driven by HCV-related medical costs and total pharmacy costs. Adherence with HCV regimens did not affect risk of liver transplant, underscoring the need for further evidence linking treatment adherence to future liver transplant risk. HCV-treated patients who required liver transplant incurred significantly higher health care costs than those without HCV treatment before liver transplant. Introduction of newer all-oral direct-acting antiviral regimens, with higher acquisition costs, will require further research to more accurately assess medication adherence and its relationship with transplantation, as well as with total health care costs. No outside funding supported this research. Ems, Worley, Racsa, Gregory, Anderson, and Holt are employees of Humana. Brill has participated in a physician advisory board at Humana. The authors have no other financial disclosures to report. Study concept and design were contributed by Ems, Racsa, Worley, and Anderson, along with Gregory, Brill, and Holt. Racsa took the lead in data collection, along with Ems and Worley. All authors participated in data interpretation. Anderson, along with the other authors, wrote the manuscript, which was revised by Brill and Holt, with assistance from the other authors.