Patient-Centered Education in Wound Management: Improving Outcomes and Adherence.

GENERAL PURPOSE: To educate wound care practitioners about methods of communication that can help promote patient adherence to wound healing recommendations. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant will:1. Distinguish the use of theoretical frameworks to promote patient adherence to prescribed wound healing recommendations.2. Synthesize the principles of motivational interviewing to best encourage patients to adhere to prescribed wound healing recommendations.3. Select the appropriate self-care strategies for patients who have nonhealing wounds.

Patients with chronic wounds make daily decisions that affect healing and treatment outcomes. Patient-centered education for effective self-management decreases episodes of care and reduces health expenditures while promoting independence. Theoretical frameworks, including the Health Belief Model, Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, and Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, can assist healthcare providers in identifying strategies that enhance adherence. These strategies include the use of motivational interviewing, a communication technique designed to elicit patients' perspectives regarding treatment goals, outcome expectations, anticipated barriers, and intentions to follow provider recommendations.

High adherence to prophylaxis regimens in haemophilia B patients receiving rIX-FP: Evidence from clinical trials and real-world practice.

INTRODUCTION: Adherence to prophylaxis regimens is essential for bleed prevention in haemophilia but remains a challenge due to the need for frequent infusions. AIM: To evaluate patient adherence to prophylaxis regimens with a long-acting recombinant factor IX (rIX-FP; IDELVION® ) in clinical studies and real-world practice. METHODS: In two phase 3 clinical studies, patients with haemophilia B (FIX ≤2%) recorded their dose, dosing frequency and rIX-FP consumption in an e-diary. Adherence to prescribed prophylaxis regimens was assessed in all patients and to prescribed dose in patients ≥12 years only. Additionally, adherence to rIX-FP prophylaxis regimens in real-world practice was captured. RESULTS: In clinical studies, 94.9% (n = 56/59) of patients ≥12 years and 100% (n = 27) of paediatric patients received ≥80% of the expected number of infusions for their assigned prophylaxis schedule. Overall, mean adherence rate was 95.5% across all prophylaxis regimens in patients ≥12 years and 97.9% with a 7-day regimen in paediatric patients. In patients ≥12 years, 85.7% (n = 54/63) were dose adherent, defined as receiving within 10% of their prescribed dose ≥80% of the time. In real-world practice, adherence was observed in 100% (n = 14 and n = 15, respectively) of patients in two haemophilia treatment centres and 57.1% (n = 4/7) of patients in a third centre; non-adherence (n = 3/7) was linked to insurance-related and parental issues. CONCLUSION: In clinical studies, patients with haemophilia B had high adherence rates to rIX-FP prophylaxis regimens with a variety of dosing intervals, enabling them to achieve very low bleeding rates. High adherence may also be achievable in real-world practice.

'They are inconveniencing us' - exploring how gaps in patient education and patient centred approaches interfere with TB treatment adherence: perspectives from patients and clinicians in the Free State Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) treatment loss to follow up (LTFU) plays an important contributory role to the staggering TB epidemic in South Africa. Reasons for treatment interruption are poorly understood. Treatment interruption appears to be the culmination of poor health literacy of patients and inadequate health education provided by clinicians. We explored clinician and patient perspectives of the gaps in TB messaging that influence TB treatment LTFU. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews between January and May 2018 with a sample of 15 clinicians managing TB and 7 patients identified as LTFU in public clinics in the Free State Province, South Africa. Thematic analysis using a mixed deductive/inductive thematic approach was used. RESULTS: Limited occupational opportunities, fear of disclosure and stigmatization all contributed to treatment LTFU. Patients felt that the TB messaging received was inadequate. Many of the clinicians interviewed felt that improving patient's TB knowledge would reinforce adherence to treatment and thus focused on sharing information on treatment completion, side effects and infection control. However, the inability of clinicians to establish rapport with patients or to identify social support challenged TB treatment adherence by patients. Clinicians perceived this as patients not following their instructions despite what they considered lengthy TB education. Having said this, clinicians concurred that their medical management of TB lacked the psycho-social dimension to treat a social disease of this magnitude. CONCLUSIONS: Limited occupational opportunities, fear of disclosure and stigmatization all contributed to treatment LTFU. Clinicians concurred that poor patient understanding of TB and that biomedical management lacking a psycho-social dimension further exacerbated the poor treatment outcome. TB remains a social disease, the successful management of which hinges on patient-centred care.

The effect of executive function on adherence with a cardiac secondary prevention program and its interaction with an incentive-based intervention.

Participation in secondary prevention programs such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR) reduces morbidity, mortality, and hospitalizations while improving quality of life. Executive function (EF) is a complex set of cognitive abilities that control and regulate behavior. EF predicts many health-related behaviors, but how EF interacts with interventions to improve treatment adherence is not well understood. The objective of this study is to examine if EF predicts CR treatment adherence and how EF interacts with an intervention to improve adherence. Data were collected from 2013 to 2018 in Vermont, USA. 130 Medicaid-enrolled individuals who had experienced a qualifying cardiac event were enrolled in a controlled clinical trial and randomized 1:1 to receive financial incentives for completing secondary prevention sessions or to usual care. In this secondary analysis, effects of EF on CR adherence (defined as completing ≥30/36 sessions) were examined in 112 participants (57 usual care, 55 intervention) who completed an EF battery. Delay-discounting, a measure of impulsivity, predicted CR adherence (p = 0.01) and interacted with the incentive intervention, such that those who exhibited greater discounting of future rewards benefitted more from the intervention than those who discounted less (F(1, 104) = 5.23, p = 0.02). Better cognitive flexibility, measured with the trail-making-task, also predicted CR adherence (p = 0.02). While EF has been associated with adherence to a variety of treatment regimens, this interaction between an incentive-based intervention to promote treatment adherence and EF is novel. This work illustrates the value of considering individual differences in EF when designing and implementing interventions to promote health-related behavior change.

Behavior change, health, and health disparities 2019: Opioids, tobacco, and treatment adherence.

This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 6th in a series on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of critical importance to improving U.S. population health. There is broad consensus that personal behavior patterns or lifestyle such as substance abuse, physical inactivity/obesity, and non-adherence with medical regimens are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease, premature death and population health. Hence, effectively promoting health-related behavior change needs to be a key component of health care research and policy. In this issue we devote the majority of space (14 of 20 reports) to the U.S. opioid epidemic, especially the ongoing but still woefully inadequate efforts to build the necessary clinical infrastructure in rural communities to effectively address the epidemic. The remaining six reports focus on addressing the substantive challenges that tobacco use and non-adherence with medical regimens represent in these same communities. While giving the opioid epidemic the attention that it well deserves, we cannot afford to do so at the expense of these other longstanding and also devastating public health problems. Across each of these topics we include contributions from well-regarded investigators, clinicians, and policymakers to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments while also noting knowledge gaps and unmet challenges.

Structural model of patient-centered communication and diabetes management in early emerging adults at the transfer to adult care.

Early emerging adulthood (ages 18-25) is a time of risk for type 1 diabetes (T1D) when relationships with parents and providers are changing. We examined whether individuals' high-quality relationships with mothers are associated with greater perceptions of patient-centered communication (PCC) with their doctor and whether PCC is associated with better adherence and glycemic control through diabetes-related self-efficacy. Additionally, we tested whether associations of PCC with self-efficacy and diabetes outcomes are stronger among those who had transferred to adult care. One-year post-high school, 217 individuals with T1D (60% women, 53% in adult care) reported perceptions of maternal relationship quality, PCC, self-efficacy, and adherence. Glycemic control was measured via HbA1c assay kits. Structural equation modeling indicated good model fit and revealed indirect paths linking higher maternal relationship quality to better adherence through higher PCC, and higher PCC to better HbA1c through adherence. Transfer status moderated the link between PCC and self-efficacy, suggesting PCC may be especially important when emerging adults transfer to adult care.

Child and Adolescent Adherence With Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety: Predictors and Associations With Outcomes.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders is effective, but nonadherence with treatment may reduce the benefits of CBT. This study examined (a) four baseline domains (i.e., demographic, youth clinical characteristics, therapy related, family/parent factors) as predictors of youth adherence with treatment and (b) the associations between youth adherence and treatment outcomes. Data were from 279 youth (7-17 years of age, 51.6% female; 79.6% White, 9% African American), with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed., text rev.) diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and/or social phobia, who participated in CBT in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study. Adherence was defined in three ways (session attendance, therapist-rated compliance, and homework completion). Multiple regressions revealed several significant predictors of youth adherence with CBT, but predictors varied according to the definition of adherence. The most robust predictors of greater adherence were living with both parents and fewer youth comorbid externalizing disorders. With respect to outcomes, therapist ratings of higher youth compliance with CBT predicted several indices of favorable outcome: lower anxiety severity, higher global functioning, and treatment responder status after 12 weeks of CBT. Number of sessions attended and homework completion did not predict treatment outcomes. Findings provide information about risks for youth nonadherence, which can inform treatment and highlight the importance of youth compliance with participating in therapy activities, rather than just attending sessions or completing homework assignments.

[Prescription of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system blockers in patients with stage 3 chronic kidney disease]. / Prescripción de fármacos bloqueadores del sistema renina angiotensina en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica etapa 3 en atención primaria de salud.

BACKGROUND: To reduce the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular risk, the guidelines recommend the blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in patients with proteinuria. AIM: To assess the frequency of enalapril or losartan use in diabetics or hypertensive patients with stage 3 CKD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Review of clinical records of patients with CKD in an urban primary care clinic. RESULTS: We identified 408 subjects aged 40 to 98 years (66% women) with stage 3 CKD. Sixty six percent had only hypertension and 34% were diabetic with or without hypertension. Seventy four percent received RAAS blockers (52% used enalapril, 45% losartan and 2% both medications). RAAS blockers were used in 70% of hypertensive and 78% of diabetic patients. The prescription in hypertensive diabetics with microalbuminuria was lower than in those without microalbuminuria (72% vs 87%, p < 0.05), but the opposite occurred in pure hypertensive patients with and without microalbuminuria (88% vs 69%, p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in blood pressure levels, microalbuminuria or serum potassium levels between RAAS blocker users and non-users. No differences were observed either between enalapril and losartan users. CONCLUSIONS: The adherence to clinical guidelines is insufficient and users of the recommended drugs did not achieve the expected goals.

[Transition of adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Implications for treatment of adults]. / La transición del adolescente con trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad. Implicaciones en el tratamiento en el adulto.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic, complex and multifactorial neurodevelopmental disorder associated with high rates of concurrent psychiatric disorders, along with problems and complications on different areas of individual functioning. ADHD is not exclusively a childhood disorder, 40-60% persisting into adulthood with an estimated prevalence of 2.5-5%. Adolescence is a stage where great and continuous changes occur, associated with a lower adherence to treatment, a greater vulnerability to the emergence of academic problems, more risk-behaviors, the onset of substance use and higher rates of other comorbid disorders. The transition to adult services or units also occurs at this stage, requiring greater coordination between child/adolescent and adult services to ensure continuity of care in a phase of life in which the patient is particularly vulnerable. As in the case of children and adolescents, the recommended treatment for adults with ADHD is the multimodal and multidisciplinary approach, that combines medication with psychological or psychosocial strategies, such as psycho-education, cognitive behavioral therapy or coaching, adapted to the individual needs of each patient. Clinical guidelines recommend psycho-stimulant drugs as first-line treatments for adult patients with ADHD.

El trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) es un trastorno del neurodesarrollo crónico, complejo y multifactorial asociado con elevadas tasas de concurrencia con otros trastornos psiquiátricos, junto con problemas y repercusiones en diferentes áreas del funcionamiento del individuo. El TDAH no es exclusivo de la edad infanto-juvenil, estimándose una persistencia del 40-60% en la edad adulta, de modo que entre 2.5 y 5% de adultos continúan presentando este trastorno. La adolescencia es una etapa en la que se producen grandes y continuos cambios y que se asocia con una menor adherencia al tratamiento, una mayor vulnerabilidad a la aparición de problemas académicos, más conductas de riesgo, el inicio en el consumo de sustancias y la aparición de otros trastornos comórbidos. Se produce también la transición a los servicios o unidades de adultos, siendo necesaria una mayor coordinación entre los servicios infanto-juveniles y de adultos para asegurar una continuidad de la intervención en una etapa d e la vida en la que el paciente es especialmente vulnerable. Como en el caso de los niños y adolescentes, el tratamiento recomendado en el adulto con TDAH es el abordaje multimodal y multidisciplinar, que combina la medicación con estrategias psicológicas o psicosociales, como la psicoeducación, la terapia cognitivo conductual o el coaching, adaptadas a las necesidades individuales de cada paciente. Los fármacos psicoestimulantes son considerados de primera elección en adultos por las guías clínicas.

A realist approach to eliciting the initial programme theory of the antiretroviral treatment adherence club intervention in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.

BACKGROUND: The successful initiation of people living with HIV/AIDS on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa has engendered challenges of poor retention in care and suboptimal adherence to medication. The adherence club intervention was implemented in the Metropolitan area of the Western Cape Province to address these challenges. The adherence club programme has shown potential to relieve clinic congestion, improve retention in care and enhance treatment adherence in the context of rapidly growing HIV patient populations being initiated on ART. Nevertheless, how and why the adherence club intervention works is not clearly understood. We aimed to elicit an initial programme theory as the first phase of the realist evaluation of the adherence club intervention in the Western Cape Province. METHODS: The realist evaluation approach guided the elicitation study. First, information was obtained from an exploratory qualitative study of programme designers' and managers' assumptions of the intervention. Second, a document review of the design, rollout, implementation and outcome of the adherence clubs followed. Third, a systematic review of available studies on group-based ART adherence support models in Sub-Saharan Africa was done, and finally, a scoping review of social, cognitive and behavioural theories that have been applied to explain adherence to ART. We used the realist evaluation heuristic tool (Intervention-context-actors-mechanism-outcome) to synthesise information from the sources into a configurational map. The configurational mapping, alignment of a specific combination of attributes, was based on the generative causality logic - retroduction. RESULTS: We identified two alternative theories: The first theory supposes that patients become encouraged, empowered and motivated, through the adherence club intervention to remain in care and adhere to the treatment. The second theory suggests that stable patients on ART are being nudged through club rules and regulations to remain in care and adhere to the treatment with the goal to decongest the primary health care facilities. CONCLUSION: The initial programme theory describes how (dynamics) and why (theories) the adherence club intervention is expected to work. By testing theories in "real intervention cases" using the realist evaluation approach, the theories can be modified, refuted and/or reconstructed to elicit a refined theory of how and why the adherence club intervention works.

Patients' experiences and perceptions on associates of TB treatment adherence: a qualitative study on DOTS service in public health centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Ethiopia is one of the countries with the highest TB burdens in the world. There are multitude of challenges related to the implementation of DOTS and adherence to treatment. This study aimed to assess patients' experiences and perceptions on associates of TB treatment adherence in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: A phenomenological approach was employed to generate qualitative data through the in-depth interview of TB patients attending DOTS in two public health centers. A total of ten participants, who were purposively selected till conceptual saturation was reached, were interviewed using topic guides prepared in line with the study objectives. Interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated to English. Open Code software was used to facilitate analysis. Themes pertaining to patient, health service, therapeutic, and socioeconomic factors were developed, and findings were presented accordingly. RESULTS: Experience of missing medications was reported by a single participant. Most informants pointed out that TB is transmitted through coughing and expectorate, and prevented by letting in open air in public gatherings. However, most of them stated cold air and few mentioned contaminated food as causes of TB. Perceived risk of non-adherence to medication was among recounted reasons behind treatment adherence. Some informants also recalled to have had the intention of withdrawing medication due to perceived wellness, which they actually did not change into action. Most of the participants generally had smooth relationships with their DOTS service providers. Even if more than half of the patients preferred follow-ups by the same professional, most received DOTS service by two or more service providers. CONCLUSIONS: TB treatment non-adherence was not found to be a major challenge among the study participants. Perceived risk and wellness were implied to be responsible factors for adherence. Albeit the fact that few informants encountered unethical behaviors by some health professionals, interviewed patients generally had positive evaluation of the patient-provider relationship and the DOTS service obtained. There is a need to train and monitor DOTS service providers and ensure the provision of DOTS service by the same provider throughout the treatment period of a given patient.

Maternal subjective well-being and preventive health care system in Japan and Finland.

Background: Maternal well-being is an important issue not only for mothers but also for their offspring and whole families. This study aims to clarify differences in subjective well-being for mothers with infants and associated factors by comparing Japanese and Finnish mothers. Methods: In Finland, 101 mothers with infants who received health check-ups at child's age 4 months participated in the study. In Japan, 505 mothers with infants who should receive health check-ups at child's age 4 months and, whose age, age of the infant and number of children matched with the Finnish mothers were selected. The factors associated with maternal subjective well-being were explored by the linear regression analysis. All Finnish mothers had individual infant health check-ups by nurses in Child Health Clinics nearly monthly. The same nurse was responsible for following up the family throughout the years. All Japanese participants received group health check-up once at child's age 3 to 4 months, and a nurse did not cover same child and their mother. Results: Finnish mothers showed significantly better subjective well-being compared with Japanese mothers. Whereas 85% of Finnish mothers responded that they had obtained childcare information from public health nurses, significantly fewer Japanese mothers indicated the same response (8%). Linear regression analyses disclosed that mothers' subjective well-being was associated with country, mothers' stress and age. Conclusion: Finnish mothers had better subjective well-being than Japanese mothers. Our results may indicate that the Finnish health care system supports mothers better than the Japanese health care system does.

Barriers to and Correlates of Retention in Behavioral Health Treatment Among Latinos in 2 Different Host Countries: The United States and Spain.

CONTEXT: Latino immigrants constitute a large portion of the Spanish and US immigrant populations, yet a dearth of research exists regarding barriers to retention in behavioral health care. OBJECTIVES: To identify and compare perceived barriers related to behavioral health care among first- and second-generation Latinos in Boston, Madrid, and Barcelona, and evaluate whether the frequency of behavioral health care use in the last year was related to these barriers. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were obtained from the International Latino Research Partnership project. First- or second-generation self-identified Latino immigrants aged 18 years and more who resided more than 1 year in the host country were recruited from community agencies and primary care, mental health, substance abuse, and HIV clinics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eleven barriers were assessed and compared across sites. The relationship between barriers and behavioral services visits within the last year was evaluated, adjusting for sociodemographics, clinical measures, degree of health literacy, cultural, and social factors. RESULTS: Wanting to handle the problem on one's own, thinking that treatment would not work, and being unsure of where to go or who to see were the most frequently reported barriers for Latino immigrants. Previous treatment failure, difficulties in transportation or scheduling, and linguistic barriers were more likely to be reported in Boston; trying to deal with mental health problems on one's own was more commonly reported in Barcelona and Madrid. Two barriers associated with the number of visits were concerns about the cost of services and uncertainty about where to go or who to see. CONCLUSIONS: After adjusting for sociodemographics, clinical measures, degree of health literacy, cultural, and social factors, barriers still differed significantly across sites. Efforts to improve behavioral health services must be tailored to immigrants' context, with attention to changing attitudes of self-reliance and outreach to improve access to and retention in care.

Cross-Cutting mHealth Behavior Change Techniques to Support Treatment Adherence and Self-Management of Complex Medical Conditions: Systematic Review.

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have immense potential to support disease self-management for people with complex medical conditions following treatment regimens that involve taking medicine and other self-management activities. However, there is no consensus on what discrete behavior change techniques (BCTs) should be used in an effective adherence and self-management-promoting mHealth solution for any chronic illness. Reviewing the extant literature to identify effective, cross-cutting BCTs in mHealth interventions for adherence and self-management promotion could help accelerate the development, evaluation, and dissemination of behavior change interventions with potential generalizability across complex medical conditions. Objective: This study aimed to identify cross-cutting, mHealth-based BCTs to incorporate into effective mHealth adherence and self-management interventions for people with complex medical conditions, by systematically reviewing the literature across chronic medical conditions with similar adherence and self-management demands. Methods: A registered systematic review was conducted to identify published evaluations of mHealth adherence and self-management interventions for chronic medical conditions with complex adherence and self-management demands. The methodological characteristics and BCTs in each study were extracted using a standard data collection form. Results: A total of 122 studies were reviewed; the majority involved people with type 2 diabetes (28/122, 23%), asthma (27/122, 22%), and type 1 diabetes (19/122, 16%). mHealth interventions rated as having a positive outcome on adherence and self-management used more BCTs (mean 4.95, SD 2.56) than interventions with no impact on outcomes (mean 3.57, SD 1.95) or those that used >1 outcome measure or analytic approach (mean 3.90, SD 1.93; P=.02). The following BCTs were associated with positive outcomes: self-monitoring outcomes of behavior (39/59, 66%), feedback on outcomes of behavior (34/59, 58%), self-monitoring of behavior (34/59, 58%), feedback on behavior (29/59, 49%), credible source (24/59, 41%), and goal setting (behavior; 14/59, 24%). In adult-only samples, prompts and cues were associated with positive outcomes (34/45, 76%). In adolescent and young adult samples, information about health consequences (1/4, 25%), problem-solving (1/4, 25%), and material reward (behavior; 2/4, 50%) were associated with positive outcomes. In interventions explicitly targeting medicine taking, prompts and cues (25/33, 76%) and credible source (13/33, 39%) were associated with positive outcomes. In interventions focused on self-management and other adherence targets, instruction on how to perform the behavior (8/26, 31%), goal setting (behavior; 8/26, 31%), and action planning (5/26, 19%) were associated with positive outcomes. Conclusions: To support adherence and self-management in people with complex medical conditions, mHealth tools should purposefully incorporate effective and developmentally appropriate BCTs. A cross-cutting approach to BCT selection could accelerate the development of much-needed mHealth interventions for target populations, although mHealth intervention developers should continue to consider the unique needs of the target population when designing these tools.

"If I don't take my treatment, I will die and who will take care of my child?": An investigation into an inclusive community-led approach to addressing the barriers to HIV treatment adherence by postpartum women living with HIV.

INTRODUCTION: Initiatives to support adherence to HIV treatment in South Africa are often centred on service delivery thereby avoiding key challenges to adherence: stigma and poverty. In contrast, this study aims to demonstrate the strength of an inclusive research and programme approach to improving the lives of people living with HIV and simultaneously ARV adherence. METHODS: Participatory Action Research combined with a visual participatory method (Photovoice) was used by postpartum women to share their experience of taking ARVs. The research was analysed from an interpretative and critical paradigm where both the women and a non-governmental organisation collaborated in the data collection, analysis and interpretation of the findings. Together, they then disseminated the findings and used a community-led approach to create a programme addressing these barriers effectively. FINDINGS: Two main barriers to ARV adherence emerged: the anticipated stigma associated with issues of disclosure and poverty epitomized by alcohol abuse, gender-based violence and hunger. The women and the NGO staff successfully presented their findings at conferences and collaborated to develop a programme of support for all women living with HIV in the area. The programme addresses each of the issues raised by the co-researchers and is run via a community-led process where the participants lead on design, implementation, and monitoring and ultimately will revise the programme as needed. DISCUSSION: The inclusive approach of this study enabled these postpartum women to portray the intersectional nature of both HIV stigma and poverty that affects their lives. By working with the local NGO to develop a programme based on these insights, they were able to tailor specific interventions to the issues women living with HIV face in their area. In doing so, they aim to improve the lives of people living with HIV by demonstrating a more sustainable way to impact ARV adherence. CONCLUSION: Currently, health service insistence on measuring ARV adherence does not address the core barriers to taking ARVs and misses the opportunity to focus on the long term health and well-being of people living with HIV. In contrast, locally targeted participatory research and programme development based on inclusivity, collaboration and ownership do address the fundamental challenges of people living with HIV. In doing so, it can have a greater impact on their long term well-being.

Achieving better outcomes for schizophrenia patients in Hong Kong: Strategies for improving treatment adherence.

Recent research on second-generation long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAI SGAs) has proven its effectiveness in minimizing medication nonadherence problem and reducing relapses. Administered by medical professionals, making quick detection of nonadherence possible, long-acting injectable antipsychotics (LAIs) facilitate immediate intervention and recovery process, and thus are favored by psychiatrists. Despite a higher initial cost with LAIs, the subsequent schizophrenia-related health costs for hospitalizations and outpatients are greatly reduced. With reference to guidelines published by psychiatric associations around the globe, this article looks at scenarios in Hong Kong on the management of severe mentally ill patients with regard to the use of a host of psychosocial interventions as well as LAI SGAs as a preferable treatment. In particular, it examines the benefits of using LAI SGAs for Hong Kong patients who demonstrated high nonadherence treatment rates due to their social environment. It assesses the rationale behind the early usages of LAI SGAs, which help to provide better recovery outcomes for patients.

Efficacy and Safety of Tofacitinib Re-treatment for Ulcerative Colitis After Treatment Interruption: Results from the OCTAVE Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Tofacitinib is an oral, small molecule Janus kinase inhibitor for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. Here, we evaluate the efficacy and safety of tofacitinib re-treatment following treatment interruption in patients with ulcerative colitis. METHODS: Here, patients with clinical response to tofacitinib 10 mg b.d. induction therapy were randomised to receive placebo in OCTAVE Sustain. Those experiencing treatment failure after Week 8 of OCTAVE Sustain entered OCTAVE Open and re-initiated tofacitinib 10 mg b.d. [re-treatment subpopulation]; efficacy and safety data are presented up to Month 36 of OCTAVE Open. RESULTS: Median time to treatment failure following interruption was 169 (95% confidence interval [CI], 94.0-179.0) and 123 [95% CI, 91.0-168.0] days for induction remitters, and induction responders but non-remitters, respectively. Following re-treatment with tofacitinib, rates (non-responder imputation after a patient discontinued; latest observation carried forward imputation after a patient advanced to a subsequent study [NRI-LOCF]) of clinical response, remission, and endoscopic improvement were 74.0%, 39.0%, and 55.0% at Month 2, and 48.5%, 37.4%, and 42.4% at Month 36, respectively. Among induction remitters and induction responders but non-remitters, clinical response rates at Month 36 were 60.6% and 42.4% [NRI-LOCF], respectively. Efficacy was recaptured regardless of prior tumour necrosis factor inhibitor failure status. The safety profile of tofacitinib 10 mg b.d. re-treatment was consistent with the overall cohort and demonstrated no new safety risks associated with exposure of ≤36 months. CONCLUSIONS: Median time to treatment failure was numerically higher in induction remitters versus induction responders but non-remitters. Following treatment interruption, efficacy was safely and successfully recaptured with tofacitinib 10 mg b.d. re-treatment in a substantial proportion of patients [ClinicalTrials.gov:NCT01458574;NCT01470612].

Do Parents' ADHD Symptoms Affect Treatment for their Children? The Impact of Parental ADHD on Adherence to Behavioral Parent Training for Childhood ADHD.

Nearly half of all youth with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have at least one parent who also meets criteria for the disorder, and intergenerational ADHD is a significant risk factor for poor outcomes following evidence-based behavioral parent training (BPT) programs. Given that BPT is predicated on consistent parental involvement, symptoms of ADHD in parents may be a significant barrier to effective engagement with BPT treatment. In the present investigation, we examine the effect of parental ADHD symptoms on BPT treatment engagement for children with ADHD-predominantly inattentive presentation (N = 148, ages 7-11). We examine the following parent- and clinician-rated treatment engagement domains: between-session skill adherence, in-session participation, perceived skill understanding, treatment-engagement attitudes, and session attendance. Parent- and clinician-rated between-session adherence was the only treatment engagement domain related significantly to parental ADHD symptoms. This finding was robust and remained even after accounting for symptoms of parental anxiety and depression, child ADHD symptom severity, and various sociodemographic factors (parental education level, household income, employment status, and being a single parent). These findings suggest that targeting parental ADHD symptoms in the context of parenting interventions may be a promising approach for improving adherence and treatment outcomes for BPT interventions.

Understanding patient motivations for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis initiation and adherence.

Consistent dosing of tenofovir/emtricitabine-based HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce HIV infection risk by up to 92%. However, clinical trials have shown low PrEP adherence (34-71%), resulting in reduced effectiveness. To improve PrEP's effectiveness, adherence to a daily PrEP regimen is essential. This report explores patients' patterns of PrEP initiation and use and their PrEP-related perceptions to provide greater understanding of patient motivations for beginning and adhering to PrEP. At two urban primary care clinics, individual coaching sessions that included semistructured interviews were offered to 10 PrEP patients. Regarding PrEP initiation, 30% of patients were advised to use PrEP by their nurse practitioners (NPs), while the remaining patients requested PrEP themselves. Before they initiated PrEP, all patients were familiar with it through social contacts or internet-based research. Patients' PrEP-related perceptions were identified, including perceived pros and cons of PrEP use, and degrees of PrEP knowledge, uncertainty, and fear. Primary care NPs should take detailed sexual histories to avoid overlooking PrEP candidates. In addition, primary care NPs should introduce easy-to-access, Internet-based resources to reinforce patient education. Last, PrEP promotional campaigns should be focused at the community level in gay, bisexual, transgender and queer populations.

The effect of alcohol consumption on clinical outcomes in regional patients with chronic disease: a retrospective chart audit.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of alcohol consumption on the clinical management of chronic diseases in a regional general practice setting. METHODS: A retrospective chart audit was undertaken of individual patient records at two large group general practices in Townsville, a regional Australian city. Three common indicator chronic diseases were selected that have clear management guidelines for general practice: type 2 diabetes; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; and chronic kidney disease. The audits were analysed using SPSS software to examine the association between alcohol consumption on acquisition of clinical management targets and primary disease intermediate outcomes (haemoglobin A1c fraction; per cent of normal forced expiratory volume at one second; and estimated glomerular filtration rate). RESULTS: A total of 457 records were audited. Higher-risk alcohol consumption is associated with reduced ability of patients to reach management targets (F[3,453]=3.68; p=0.012) and decreased standardised primary disease outcome (F[3,403]=2.86; p=0.037). CONCLUSION: Higher-risk alcohol consumption is associated with reduced attainment of chronic disease management targets and worse chronic disease outcomes. Implications for public health: Alcohol consumption should be assessed frequently in people with chronic disease, especially when there is difficulty acquiring management targets or worsening of disease outcomes without a clear explanation. Better education about the potential associations between alcohol use and chronic disease would benefit those managing these complex conditions, both clinicians and patients.