Recruitment, retention, and adherence in a clinical trial: The Pediatric Heart Network's Marfan Trial experience.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The Pediatric Heart Network Marfan Trial was a randomized trial comparing atenolol versus losartan on aortic root dilation in 608 children and young adults with Marfan syndrome. Barriers to enrollment included a limited pool of eligible participants, restrictive entry criteria, and a diverse age range that required pediatric and adult expertise. Retention was complicated by a 3-year commitment to a complex study and medication regimen. The Network partnered with the Marfan Foundation, bridging the community with the research. The aims of this study are to report protocol and medication adherence and associated predictive factors, and to describe recruitment and retention strategies. METHODS: Recruitment, retention, and adherence to protocol activities related to the primary outcome were measured. Retention was measured by percentage of enrolled participants with 3-year outcome data. Protocol adherence was calculated by completion rates of study visits, ambulatory electrocardiography (Holter monitoring), and quarterly calls. Medication adherence was assessed by the number of tablets or the amount of liquid in bottles returned. Centers were ranked according to adherence (high, medium, and low tertiles). Recruitment, retention, and adherence questionnaires were completed by sites. Descriptive statistics summarized recruitment, retention, and adherence, as well as questionnaire results. Regression modeling assessed predictors of adherence. RESULTS: Completion rates for visits, Holter monitors, and quarterly calls were 99%, 94%, and 96%, respectively. Primary outcome data at 3 years were obtained for 88% of participants. The mean percentage of medication taken was estimated at 89%. Site and age were associated with all measures of adherence. Young adult and African American participants had lower levels of adherence. Higher adherence sites employed more strategies; had more staffing resources, less key staff turnover, and more collaboration with referring providers; utilized the Foundation's resources; and used a greater number of strategies to recruit, retain, and promote protocol and medication adherence. CONCLUSION: Overall adherence was excellent for this trial conducted within a National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trial network. Strategies specifically targeted to young adults and African Americans may have been beneficial. Many strategies employed by higher adherence sites are ones that any site could easily use, such as greeting families at non-study hospital visits, asking for family feedback, providing calendars for tracking schedules, and recommending apps for medication reminders. Additional key learnings include adherence differences by age, race, and site, the value of collaborative learning, and the importance of partnerships with patient advocacy groups. These lessons could shape recruitment, retention, and adherence to improve the quality of future complex trials involving rare conditions.

Results of the FUEL Trial.

BACKGROUND: The Fontan operation creates a total cavopulmonary connection, a circulation in which the importance of pulmonary vascular resistance is magnified. Over time, this circulation leads to deterioration of cardiovascular efficiency associated with a decline in exercise performance. Rigorous clinical trials aimed at improving physiology and guiding pharmacotherapy are lacking. METHODS: The FUEL trial (Fontan Udenafil Exercise Longitudinal) was a phase III clinical trial conducted at 30 centers. Participants were randomly assigned udenafil, 87.5 mg twice daily, or placebo in a 1:1 ratio. The primary outcome was the between-group difference in change in oxygen consumption at peak exercise. Secondary outcomes included between-group differences in changes in submaximal exercise at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold, the myocardial performance index, the natural log of the reactive hyperemia index, and serum brain-type natriuretic peptide. RESULTS: Between 2017 and 2019, 30 clinical sites in North America and the Republic of Korea randomly assigned 400 participants with Fontan physiology. The mean age at randomization was 15.5±2 years; 60% of participants were male, and 81% were white. All 400 participants were included in the primary analysis with imputation of the 26-week end point for 21 participants with missing data (11 randomly assigned to udenafil and 10 to placebo). Among randomly assigned participants, peak oxygen consumption increased by 44±245 mL/min (2.8%) in the udenafil group and declined by 3.7±228 mL/min (-0.2%) in the placebo group (P=0.071). Analysis at ventilatory anaerobic threshold demonstrated improvements in the udenafil group versus the placebo group in oxygen consumption (+33±185 [3.2%] versus -9±193 [-0.9%] mL/min, P=0.012), ventilatory equivalents of carbon dioxide (-0.8 versus -0.06, P=0.014), and work rate (+3.8 versus +0.34 W, P=0.021). There was no difference in change of myocardial performance index, the natural log of the reactive hyperemia index, or serum brain-type natriuretic peptide level. CONCLUSIONS: In the FUEL trial, treatment with udenafil (87.5 mg twice daily) was not associated with an improvement in oxygen consumption at peak exercise but was associated with improvements in multiple measures of exercise performance at the ventilatory anaerobic threshold. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02741115.

Variation in care for children undergoing the Fontan operation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome.

BACKGROUND: The Single Ventricle Reconstruction Trial randomised neonates with hypoplastic left heart syndrome to a shunt strategy but otherwise retained standard of care. We aimed to describe centre-level practice variation at Fontan completion. METHODS: Centre-level data are reported as median or median frequency across all centres and range of medians or frequencies across centres. Classification and regression tree analysis assessed the association of centre-level factors with length of stay and percentage of patients with prolonged pleural effusion (>7 days). RESULTS: The median Fontan age (14 centres, 320 patients) was 3.1 years (range from 1.7 to 3.9), and the weight-for-age z-score was -0.56 (-1.35 + 0.44). Extra-cardiac Fontans were performed in 79% (4-100%) of patients at the 13 centres performing this procedure; lateral tunnels were performed in 32% (3-100%) at the 11 centres performing it. Deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (nine centres) ranged from 6 to 100%. Major complications occurred in 17% (7-33%). The length of stay was 9.5 days (9-12); 15% (6-33%) had prolonged pleural effusion. Centres with fewer patients (<6%) with prolonged pleural effusion and fewer (<41%) complications had a shorter length of stay (<10 days; sensitivity 1.0; specificity 0.71; area under the curve 0.96). Avoiding deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and higher weight-for-age z-score were associated with a lower percentage of patients with prolonged effusions (<9.5%; sensitivity 1.0; specificity = 0.86; area under the curve 0.98). CONCLUSIONS: Fontan perioperative practices varied widely among study centres. Strategies to decrease the duration of pleural effusion and minimise complications may decrease the length of stay. Further research regarding deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is needed to understand its association with prolonged pleural effusion.

Lessons learned in the use of clinical registry data in a multi-centre prospective study: the Pediatric Heart Network Residual Lesion Score Study.

BACKGROUND: Using existing data from clinical registries to support clinical trials and other prospective studies has the potential to improve research efficiency. However, little has been reported about staff experiences and lessons learned from implementation of this method in pediatric cardiology. OBJECTIVES: We describe the process of using existing registry data in the Pediatric Heart Network Residual Lesion Score Study, report stakeholders' perspectives, and provide recommendations to guide future studies using this methodology. METHODS: The Residual Lesion Score Study, a 17-site prospective, observational study, piloted the use of existing local surgical registry data (collected for submission to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons-Congenital Heart Surgery Database) to supplement manual data collection. A survey regarding processes and perceptions was administered to study site and data coordinating center staff. RESULTS: Survey response rate was 98% (54/55). Overall, 57% perceived that using registry data saved research staff time in the current study, and 74% perceived that it would save time in future studies; 55% noted significant upfront time in developing a methodology for extracting registry data. Survey recommendations included simplifying data extraction processes and tailoring to the needs of the study, understanding registry characteristics to maximise data quality and security, and involving all stakeholders in design and implementation processes. CONCLUSIONS: Use of existing registry data was perceived to save time and promote efficiency. Consideration must be given to the upfront investment of time and resources needed. Ongoing efforts focussed on automating and centralising data management may aid in further optimising this methodology for future studies.

Health-Related Quality of Life in Children and Young Adults with Marfan Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in a large multicenter cohort of children and young adults with Marfan syndrome participating in the Pediatric Heart Network Marfan Trial. STUDY DESIGN: The Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Scales were administered to 321 subjects with Marfan syndrome (5-25 years). PedsQL scores were compared with healthy population norms. The impact of treatment arm (atenolol vs losartan), severity of clinical features, and number of patient-reported symptoms on HRQOL was assessed by general linear models. RESULTS: Mean PedsQL scores in children (5-18 years) with Marfan syndrome were lower than healthy population norms for physical (P ≤ .003) and psychosocial (P < .001) domains; mean psychosocial scores for adults (19-25 years) were greater than healthy norms (P < .001). HRQOL across multiple domains correlated inversely with frequency of patient-reported symptoms (r = 0.30-0.38, P < .0001). Those <18 years of age with neurodevelopmental disorders (mainly learning disability, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) had lower mean PedsQL scores (5.5-7.4 lower, P < .04). A multivariable model found age, sex, patient-reported symptoms, and neurodevelopmental disorder to be independent predictors of HRQOL. There were no differences in HRQOL scores by treatment arm, aortic root z score, number of skeletal features, or presence of ectopia lentis. CONCLUSIONS: Children and adolescents with Marfan syndrome were at high risk for impaired HRQOL. Patient-reported symptoms and neurodevelopmental disorder, but not treatment arm or severity of Marfan syndrome-related physical findings, were associated with lower HRQOL.

Design and rationale of the Fontan Udenafil Exercise Longitudinal (FUEL) trial.

The Fontan operation creates a circulation characterized by elevated central venous pressure and low cardiac output. Over time, these characteristics result in a predictable and persistent decline in exercise performance that is associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. A medical therapy that targets the abnormalities of the Fontan circulation might, therefore, be associated with improved outcomes. Udenafil, a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, has undergone phase I/II testing in adolescents who have had the Fontan operation and has been shown to be safe and well tolerated in the short term. However, there are no data regarding the long-term efficacy of udenafil in this population. The Fontan Udenafil Exercise Longitudinal (FUEL) Trial is a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III clinical trial being conducted by the Pediatric Heart Network in collaboration with Mezzion Pharma Co, Ltd. This trial is designed to test the hypothesis that treatment with udenafil will lead to an improvement in exercise capacity in adolescents who have undergone the Fontan operation. A safety extension trial, the FUEL Open-Label Extension Trial (FUEL OLE), offers the opportunity for all FUEL subjects to obtain open-label udenafil for an additional 12 months following completion of FUEL, and evaluates the long-term safety and tolerability of this medication. This manuscript describes the rationale and study design for FUEL and FUEL OLE. Together, these trials provide an opportunity to better understand the role of medical management in the care of those who have undergone the Fontan operation.

Results of a phase I/II multi-center investigation of udenafil in adolescents after fontan palliation.

BACKGROUND: The Fontan operation results in a circulation that is dependent on low pulmonary vascular resistance to maintain an adequate cardiac output. Medical therapies that lower pulmonary vascular resistance may augment cardiac output and improve long-term outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This phase I/II clinical trial conducted by the Pediatric Heart Network was designed to evaluate short-term safety, pharmacokinetics (PK), and preliminary efficacy of udenafil in adolescents following Fontan. METHODS: A 5-day dose-escalation trial was conducted in five study cohorts of six subjects each (37.5, 87.5, and 125 mg daily, 37.5 and 87.5 mg by mouth twice daily). A control cohort with 6 subjects underwent exercise testing only. Adverse events (AEs) were recorded, PK samples were collected on study days six through eight, and clinical testing was performed at baseline and day five. RESULTS: The trial enrolled 36 subjects; mean age 15.8 years (58% male). There were no significant differences in subject characteristics between cohorts. No drug-related serious AEs were reported during the study period; 24 subjects had AEs possibly or probably related to study drug. Headache was the most common AE, occurring in 20 of 30 subjects. The 87.5 mg bid cohort was well tolerated, achieved the highest maximal concentration (506 ng/mL) and the highest average concentration over the dosing interval (279 ng/mL), and was associated with a suggestion of improvement in myocardial performance. Exercise performance did not improve in any of the dosing cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Udenafil was well-tolerated at all dosing levels. The 87.5 mg bid cohort achieved the highest plasma drug level and was associated with a suggestion of improvement in myocardial performance. These data suggest that the 87.5 mg bid regimen may be the most appropriate for a Phase III clinical trial.