Patient Satisfaction and Willingness to Continue with Telemental Health Care During and After the Early Period of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: A User Survey.

Objective: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and related lockdown periods generated an increase in the use of virtual care for mental health (MH). This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with Telemental Health services (TMH) during first lockdown and factors related to their willingness to continue using this service. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 364 MH outpatients from 9 centers in the Barcelona region (Spain), who received TMH between April 20 and May 22, 2020. We assessed sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, prior experience, and familiarity with technologies and satisfaction with TMH. Willingness to receive TMH after the lockdown was measured separately for telephone and videoconferencing. We performed descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate regression models to predict TMH willingness. Results: From 450 patients contacted, 364 were interviewed. Satisfaction with TMH was high (mean 9.24, standard deviation 0.07); 2.47% preferred only TMH visits after lockdown, 23.08% preferred mostly TMH visits, 50.82% accepted some TMH visits, and 23.63% would prefer in-person consultations. Female patients and those having received TMH during lockdown showed higher odds of willingness to receive TMH in the future, while patients unfamiliar with technologies showed lower odds. Concerning TMH through telephone, willingness was more likely in patients living with more persons. Videoconferencing willingness was more likely for people living with depression. Conclusions: TMH was well accepted during the first lockdown and patients were willing to maintain it after lockdown. Low familiarity with new technologies is an important barrier to TMH willingness, which needs to be addressed for appropriate implementation going forward.

TP53INP2-dependent activation of muscle autophagy ameliorates sarcopenia and promotes healthy aging.

Sarcopenia is a major contributor to disability in older adults, and thus, it is key to elucidate the mechanisms underlying its development. Increasing evidence suggests that impaired macroautophagy/autophagy contributes to the development of sarcopenia. However, the mechanisms leading to reduced autophagy during aging remain largely unexplored, and whether autophagy activation protects from sarcopenia has not been fully addressed. Here we show that the autophagy regulator TP53INP2/TRP53INP2 is decreased during aging in mouse and human skeletal muscle. Importantly, chronic activation of autophagy by muscle-specific overexpression of TRP53INP2 prevents sarcopenia and the decline of muscle function in mice. Acute re-expression of TRP53INP2 in aged mice also improves muscle atrophy, enhances mitophagy, and reduces ROS production. In humans, high levels of TP53INP2 in muscle are associated with increased muscle strength and healthy aging. Our findings highlight the relevance of an active muscle autophagy in the maintenance of muscle mass and prevention of sarcopenia.Abbreviation: ATG7: autophagy related 7; BMI: body mass index; EIF4EBP1: eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E binding protein 1; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; ROS: reactive oxygen species; TP53INP2: tumor protein p53 inducible nuclear protein 2; WT: wild type.

Evaluation of adherence to antipsychotics: A real-world data study using four different dosing assumptions.

AIMS: This study aimed to assess the frequency of dosing inconsistencies in prescription data and the effect of four dosing assumption strategies on adherence estimates for antipsychotic treatment. METHODS: A retrospective cohort, which linked prescription and dispensing data of adult patients with ≥1 antipsychotic prescription between 2015-2016 and followed up until 2019, in Catalonia (Spain). Four strategies were proposed for selecting the recommended dosing in overlapping prescription periods for the same patient and antipsychotic drug: (i) the minimum dosing prescribed; (ii) the dose corresponding to the latest prescription issued; (iii) the highest dosing prescribed; and (iv) all doses included in the overlapped period. For each strategy, one treatment episode per patient was selected, and the Continuous Medication Availability measure was used to assess adherence. Descriptive statistics were used to describe results by strategy. RESULTS: Of the 277 324 prescriptions included, 76% overlapped with other prescriptions (40% with different recommended dosing instructions). The number and characteristics of patients and treatment episodes (18 292, 18 303, 18 339 and 18 536, respectively per strategy) were similar across strategies. Mean adherence was similar between strategies, ranging from 57 to 60%. However, the proportion of patients with adherence ≥90% was lower when selecting all doses (28%) compared with the other strategies (35%). CONCLUSION: Despite the high prevalence of overlapping prescriptions, the strategies proposed did not show a major effect on the adherence estimates for antipsychotic treatment. Taking into consideration the particularities of antipsychotic prescription practices, selecting the highest dose in the overlapped period seemed to provide a more accurate adherence estimate.

Over 40 years (1981-2023) assessing stigma with the Community Attitudes to Mental Illness (CAMI) scale: a systematic review of its psychometric properties.

BACKGROUND: The Community Attitudes to Mental Illness (CAMI) scale measures social stigma towards people with mental illness. Although it has been used worldwide, the psychometric properties of the CAMI have not been systematically reviewed. The main aim of this study was to systematically review the psychometric properties of the different versions of the CAMI more than 40 years after of its publication. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and EMBASE from 1981 (year of publication) to 2023 (present). A double review was performed for eligibility, data extraction, and quality assessment. RESULTS: A total of 15 studies enrolling 10,841 participants were included. The most frequently reported factor structure comprises 3 or 4 factors. Overall, the internal consistency seems adequate for the global scale (α ≥ 0.80), except for CAMI-10 (α = 0.69). Internal consistency of the subscales are not supported, with authoritarianism being the weakest factor (α = 0.27 to 0.68). The stability over time of the total scale has been assessed in the CAMI-40, CAMI-BR, and CAMI-10 (r ≥ 0.39). Few studies have assessed the temporal stability of the CAMI subscales. Most of the correlations with potentially related measures are significant and in the expected direction. CONCLUSIONS: The 3 and 4 factor structure are the most widely reported in the different versions of the CAMI. Even though reliability and construct validity are acceptable, further item refinement by international consensus seems warranted more than 40 years after the original publication. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO identification number: CRD42018098956.

Maternity care changes and postpartum mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a Spanish cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to abrupt changes in maternity care, but the impact of these changes has not yet been deeply evaluated. This study aimed to assess the impact of the unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum mental health (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder). METHODS: A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted in Spain during the second half of 2020. The eligibility criteria were women≥18 years with a child≤6 months. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Screener (GAD-7) and a subset of the PTSD checklist (PCL-5) were used to assess postpartum mental health. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and maternity care changes was collected, and multivariate regression models were used. RESULTS: Among 1781 participants, 29.3% and 33% had clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The most prevalent unexpected changes reported were related to the exclusion of supportive relatives during birth and postpartum. Changes reported during birth showed a minor association with PTSD symptomatology, and those that occurred during the postpartum period were associated with clinical depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: The unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those that occurred during the postpartum period, increased the risk of mental health problems.

Modeling the potential efficiency of a blood biomarker-based tool to guide pre-hospital thrombolytic therapy in stroke patients.

OBJECTIVES: Stroke treatment with intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) is effective and efficient, but as its benefits are highly time dependent, it is essential to treat the patient promptly after symptom onset. This study evaluates the cost-effectiveness of a blood biomarker test to differentiate ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to guide pre-hospital treatment with tPA in patients with suspected stroke, compared with standard hospital management. The standard care for patients suffering stroke consists mainly in diagnosis, treatment, hospitalization and monitoring. METHODS: A Markov model was built with four health states according to the modified Rankin scale, in adult patients with suspected moderate to severe stroke (NIHSS 4-22) within 4.5 hours after symptom onset. A Spanish Health System perspective was used. The time horizon was 15 years. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and life-years gained (LYGs) were used as a measure of effectiveness. Short- and long-term direct health costs were included. Costs were expressed in Euros (2022). A discount rate of 3% was used. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis and several one-way sensitivity analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The use of a blood-test biomarker compared with standard care was associated with more QALYs (4.87 vs. 4.77), more LYGs (7.18 vs. 7.07), and greater costs (12,807€ vs. 12,713€). The ICER was 881€/QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the biomarker test was cost-effective in 82% of iterations using a threshold of 24,000€/QALY. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a blood biomarker test to guide pre-hospital thrombolysis is cost-effective compared with standard hospital care in patients with ischemic stroke.

Improving Initial Medication Adherence to cardiovascular disease and diabetes treatments in primary care: Pilot trial of a complex intervention.

Introduction: The Initial Medication Adherence (IMA) intervention is a multidisciplinary and shared decision-making intervention to improve initial medication adherence addressed to patients in need of new treatments for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in primary care (PC). This pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the IMA intervention and the feasibility of a cluster-RCT to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the intervention. Methods: A 3-month pilot trial with an embedded process evaluation was conducted in five PC centers in Catalonia (Spain). Electronic health data were descriptively analyzed to test the availability and quality of records of the trial outcomes (initiation, implementation, clinical parameters and use of services). Recruitment and retention rates of professionals were analyzed. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews with professionals (general practitioners, nurses, and community pharmacists) and patients were conducted to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Three discussion groups with a total of fifteen patients were performed to review and redesign the intervention decision aids. Qualitative data were thematically analyzed. Results: A total of 901 new treatments were prescribed to 604 patients. The proportion of missing data in the electronic health records was up to 30% for use of services and around 70% for clinical parameters 5 months before and after a new prescription. Primary and secondary outcomes were within plausible ranges and outliers were barely detected. The IMA intervention and its implementation strategy were considered feasible and acceptable by pilot-study participants. Low recruitment and retention rates, understanding of shared decision-making by professionals, and format and content of decision aids were the main barriers to the feasibility of the IMA intervention. Discussion: Involving patients in the decision-making process is crucial to achieving better clinical outcomes. The IMA intervention is feasible and showed good acceptability among professionals and patients. However, we identified barriers and facilitators to implementing the intervention and adapting it to a context affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that should be considered before launching a cluster-RCT. This pilot study identified opportunities for refining the intervention and improving the design of the definitive cluster-RCT to evaluate its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Clinical trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT05094986.

Improving equity in access to early diagnosis of cancer in different healthcare systems of Latin America: protocol for the EquityCancer-LA implementation-effectiveness hybrid study.

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare fragmentation, a main cause for delay in cancer diagnosis and treatment, contributes to high mortality in Latin America (LA), particularly among disadvantaged populations. This research focuses on integrated care interventions, which have been limitedly implemented in the region. The objective is to evaluate the contextual effectiveness of scaling-up an integrated care intervention to improve early diagnosis of frequent cancers in healthcare networks of Chile, Colombia and Ecuador. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This research is two pronged: (A) quasi-experimental design (controlled before and after) with an intervention and a control healthcare network in each LA country, using an implementation-effectiveness hybrid approach to assess the intervention process, effectiveness and costs; and (B) case study design to analyse access to diagnosis of most frequent cancers. Focusing on the most vulnerable socioeconomic population, it develops in four phases: (1) analysis of delays and barriers to early diagnosis (baseline); (2) intervention adaptation and implementation (primary care training, fast-track referral pathway and patient information); (3) intracountry evaluation of intervention and (4) cross-country analysis. Baseline and evaluation studies adopt mixed-methods qualitative (semistructured individual interviews) and quantitative (patient questionnaire survey) methods. For the latter, a sample size of 174 patients with cancer diagnosis per healthcare network and year was calculated to detect a proportions difference of 15%, before and after intervention (α=0.05; ß=0.2) in a two-sided test. A participatory approach will be used to tailor the intervention to each context, led by a local steering committee (professionals, managers, policy makers, patients and researchers). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study complies with international and national legal stipulations on ethics. It was approved by each country's ethical committee and informed consent will be obtained from participants. Besides the coproduction of knowledge with key stakeholders, it will be disseminated through strategies such as policy briefs, workshops, e-tools and scientific papers.

Complex multidisciplinary intervention to improve Initial Medication Adherence to cardiovascular disease and diabetes treatments in primary care (the IMA-cRCT study): mixed-methods process evaluation protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Medication non-initiation, or primary non-adherence, is a persistent public health problem that increases the risk of adverse clinical outcomes. The initial medication adherence (IMA) intervention is a complex multidisciplinary intervention to improve adherence to cardiovascular and diabetes treatments in primary care by empowering the patient and promoting informed prescriptions based on shared decision-making. This paper presents the development and implementation strategy of the IMA intervention and the process evaluation protocol embedded in a cluster randomised controlled trial (the IMA-cRCT) to understand and interpret the outcomes of the trial and comprehend the extent of implementation and fidelity, the active mechanisms of the IMA intervention and in what context the intervention is implemented and works. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We present the protocol for a mixed-methods process evaluation including quantitative and qualitative methods to measure implementation and fidelity and to explore the active mechanisms and the interactions between the intervention, participants and its context. The process evaluation will be conducted in primary care centres and community pharmacies from the IMA-cRCT, and participants include healthcare professionals (general practitioners, nurses and community pharmacists) as well as patients. Quantitative data collection methods include data extraction from the intervention operative records, patient clinical records and participant feedback questionnaires, whereas qualitative data collection involves semistructured interviews, focus groups and field diaries. Quantitative and qualitative data will be analysed separately and triangulated to produce deeper insights and robust results. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval has been obtained from the Research Ethics Comittee (CEIm) at IDIAP Jordi Gol (codeCEIm 21/051 P). Findings will be disseminated through publications and conferences, as well as presentations to healthcare professionals and stakeholders from healthcare organisations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT05026775.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an intervention to improve Initial Medication Adherence to treatments for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in primary care: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial and economic model (the IMA-cRCT study).

BACKGROUND: Between 2 and 43% of patients who receive a new prescription in PC do not initiate their treatments. Non-initiation is associated with poorer clinical outcomes, more sick leave and higher costs to the healthcare system. Existing evidence suggests that shared decision-making positively impacts medication initiation. The IMA-cRCT assesses the effectiveness of the IMA intervention in improving adherence and clinical parameters compared to usual care in patients with a new treatment for cardiovascular disease and diabetes prescribed in PC, and its cost-effectiveness, through a cRCT and economic modelling. METHODS: The IMA intervention is a shared decision-making intervention based on the Theoretical Model of Non-initiation. A cRCT will be conducted in 24 PC teams in Catalonia (Spain), randomly assigned to the intervention group (1:1), and community pharmacies in the catchment areas of the intervention PC teams. Healthcare professionals in the intervention group will apply the intervention to all patients who receive a new prescription for cardiovascular disease or diabetes treatment (no other prescription from the same pharmacological group in the previous 6 months). All the study variables will be collected from real-world databases for the 12 months before and after receiving a new prescription. Effectiveness analyses will assess impact on initiation, secondary adherence, cardiovascular risk, clinical parameters and cardiovascular events. Cost-effectiveness analyses will be conducted as part of the cRCT from a healthcare and societal perspective in terms of extra cost per cardiovascular risk reduction and improved adherence; all analyses will be clustered. Economic models will be built to assess the long-term cost-effectiveness of the IMA intervention, in terms of extra cost for gains in QALY and life expectancy, using clinical trial data and data from previous studies. DISCUSSION: The IMA-cRCT represents an innovative approach to the design and evaluation of behavioural interventions that use the principles of complex interventions, pragmatic trials and implementation research. This study will provide evidence on the IMA intervention and on a new methodology for developing and evaluating complex interventions. The results of the study will be disseminated among stakeholders to facilitate its transferability to clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05026775 . Registered 30th August 2021.

[Pre-post evaluation of an intergenerational program to improve wellbeing in older adults and age stereotypes in primary and secondary students: CRENCO project]. / Evaluación pre-post de un programa intergeneracional para mejorar el bienestar en personas mayores y los estereotipos edadistas en alumnos de primaria y secundaria: proyecto CRENCO.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRENCO project which was carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic including intergenerational activities shared by students from primary and secondary education and users of two centers for older adults and a day hospital in Catalonia. The effectiveness was assessed in terms of well-being in older adults and on negative stereotypes about the elderly in primary and secondary students. METHODS: Three interventions were carried out in which 32 older persons (9 users of centers for older adults and 23 of a day hospital), 99 primary students and 56 secondary students participated. Participants answered a questionnaire before and after the interventions. Through multilevel linear models for repeated measures, changes in feelings of loneliness, social support, anxiety and depressive symptoms, self-reported health and health-related quality of life were evaluated in older people. In primary and secondary students, changes in age stereotypes were evaluated. RESULTS: Health-related quality of life and self-reported health improved statistically after the interventions in older persons. Users of the day hospital also reported an improvement in social support. Primary school students improved their age stereotypes; no statistically significant changes were detected in secondary students. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study contribute to underlining the importance of intergenerational programs such as the one proposed by CRENCO, capable of improving well-being and providing a more realistic vision of the older adults. Our results suggest that these programs should be implemented during childhood in order to prevent the proliferation of ageist stereotypes in later life stages.

Coordination of mitochondrial and lysosomal homeostasis mitigates inflammation and muscle atrophy during aging.

Sarcopenia is one of the main factors contributing to the disability of aged people. Among the possible molecular determinants of sarcopenia, increasing evidences suggest that chronic inflammation contributes to its development. However, a key unresolved question is the nature of the factors that drive inflammation during aging and that participate in the development of sarcopenia. In this regard, mitochondrial dysfunction and alterations in mitophagy induce inflammatory responses in a wide range of cells and tissues. However, whether accumulation of damaged mitochondria (MIT) in muscle could trigger inflammation in the context of aging is still unknown. Here, we demonstrate that BCL2 interacting protein 3 (BNIP3) plays a key role in the control of mitochondrial and lysosomal homeostasis, and mitigates muscle inflammation and atrophy during aging. We show that muscle BNIP3 expression increases during aging in mice and in some humans. BNIP3 deficiency alters mitochondrial function, decreases mitophagic flux and, surprisingly, induces lysosomal dysfunction, leading to an upregulation of Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9)-dependent inflammation and activation of the NLRP3 (nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-, leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-, and pyrin domain-containing protein 3) inflammasome in muscle cells and mouse muscle. Importantly, downregulation of muscle BNIP3 in aged mice exacerbates inflammation and muscle atrophy, and high BNIP3 expression in aged human subjects associates with a low inflammatory profile, suggesting a protective role for BNIP3 against age-induced muscle inflammation in mice and humans. Taken together, our data allow us to propose a new adaptive mechanism involving the mitophagy protein BNIP3, which links mitochondrial and lysosomal homeostasis with inflammation and is key to maintaining muscle health during aging.

Assessment of a Primary Support Program: family physicians and mental health professionals' perspective.

BACKGROUND: Mental health (MH) disorders are increasingly prevalent in primary care (PC) and this has generated, in recent years, the development of strategies based on the collaborative model and the stepped care model. The Primary Support Program (PSP) was implemented in the community of Catalonia (Spain) during 2006 to improve, from the first level of care, treatment of the population with mild-moderate complexity MH problems along with identification and referral of severe cases to specialized care. The aim of the present study was to identify the strengths and limitations of the PSP from the perspective of health professionals involved in the programme. METHODS: An explanatory qualitative study based on Grounded Theory. We conducted group semistructured interviews with 37 family physicians and 34 MH professionals. A constant comparative method of analysis was performed. RESULTS: Operation of the PSP is influenced by internal factors, such as the programme framework, MH liaison, management of service supply and demand, and the professional team involved. Additionally, external factors which had an impact were related to the patient, the professionals, the Health System, and community resources. CONCLUSIONS: The operation of the PSP could benefit from a review of the programme framework and optimization of MH liaison. Improvements are also proposed for MH training in PC, intraprofessional coordination, use of community resources, and creation of efficient continuous assessment systems.

Assessment of the efficacy of a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT): experience in the Esplugues Mental Health Center (Barcelona).

AIM: Crisis Resolution Teams (CRT) have shown positive clinical and service-use results in various countries but evidence in the south of Europe is scarce. The aim is to assess the impact of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) in Spain with respect to the course of symptomatology and mental health services use in patients served. METHODS: Prospective observational cohort study. Assessment of the psychopathological severity (HoNOS scale) of the clinical course (CGI scale) and use of medical services. RESULTS: A positive clinical course was observed following the intervention. The mean difference in HoNOS (Health of the Nation Outcome Scales) scores between baseline and discharge was 7 points (p < 0.05). On discharge, more than 60% of patients had improved their symptomatology according to the CGI scale (Clinical Global Impression) and most were discharged due to improvement or goal achievement. A tendency to reduction in the number of admissions to acute units and day hospital was observed, along with fewer emergency room visits. In contrast, an increase in the number of admissions to subacute units was seen. During the intervention, the median number of visits to the center was 15 and the median duration of care provision by the CIT was 39 days. CONCLUSIONS: The CIT intervention promotes patients' clinical improvement and has a positive impact in terms of reducing acute hospitalizations and emergency room visits.

Non-initiation of prescribed medication from a Spanish health professionals' perspective: A qualitative exploration based on Grounded Theory.

We explore, from the perspective of primary care health professionals, the motivations that lead patients to not initiate prescribed treatments, by developing a qualitative study in Spanish primary care. Six focus groups (N = 46) were conducted with general practitioners, nurse practitioners, social workers and community pharmacists and carried out in primary care (PC) of Barcelona Province, from April to July of 2018. The 46 participants were identified by three general practitioners and two pharmacists. In the interviews, the reasons for non-initiation of PC patients' medication were explored. Triangulated content analysis was performed. Patients' perspective, analysed in a previous study, and professionals' perspective agree on most of the factors that affect non-initiation. New factors were categorized into existent categories, confirming, and supplementing the model developed with patients. Health professionals identified some new factors which were not present in the patients' discourse, such as stigma related to the drug, hidden reasons for consultation, the role of nurses in prescription and support, the role of the pharmacy technician, illiteracy and lack of social support. The professionals confirm and expand on the Theoretical Model of Medication Non-Initiation. Primary care professionals should consider the factors described when prescribing a new medication. Knowledge contributed by the model should guide the design of interventions to improve initiation.

Pediatric Medication Noninitiation in Spain.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate medication noninitiation prevalence in the pediatric population and identify the explanatory factors underlying this behavior. METHODS: Observational study of patients (<18 years old) receiving at least 1 new prescription (28 pharmaceutical subgroups; July 2017 to June 2018) in Catalonia, Spain. A prescription was considered new when there was no prescription for the same pharmaceutical subgroup in the previous 6 months. Noninitiation occurred when a prescription was not filled within 1 month or 6 months (sensitivity analysis). Prevalence was estimated as the proportion of total prescriptions not initiated. To identify explanatory factors, a multivariable multilevel logistic regression model was used, and adjusted odds ratios were reported. RESULTS: Overall, 1 539 003 new prescriptions were issued to 715 895 children. The overall prevalence of 1-month noninitiation was 9.0% (ranging from 2.6% [oral antibiotics] to 21.5% [proton pump inhibitors]), and the prevalence of 6-month noninitiation was 8.5%. Noninitiation was higher in the youngest and oldest population groups, in children from families with a 0% copayment rate (vulnerable populations) and those with conditions from external causes. Out-of-pocket costs of drugs increased the odds of noninitiation. The odds of noninitiation were lower when the prescription was issued by a pediatrician (compared with a primary or secondary care clinician). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of noninitiation of medical treatments in pediatrics is high and varies according to patients' ages and medical groups. Results suggest that there are inequities in access to pharmacologic treatments in this population that must be taken into account by health care planners and providers.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a multiple health behaviour change intervention in people aged between 45 and 75 years: a cluster randomized controlled trial in primary care (EIRA study).

BACKGROUND: Multiple health behaviour change (MHBC) interventions that promote healthy lifestyles may be an efficient approach in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases in primary care. This study aims to evaluate the cost-utility and cost-effectiveness of the health promotion EIRA intervention in terms of MHBC and cardiovascular reduction. METHODS: An economic evaluation alongside a 12-month cluster-randomised (1:1) controlled trial conducted between 2017 and 2018 in 25 primary healthcare centres from seven Spanish regions. The study took societal and healthcare provider perspectives. Patients included were between 45 and 75 years old and had any two of these three behaviours: smoking, insufficient physical activity or low adherence to Mediterranean dietary pattern. Intervention duration was 12 months and combined three action levels (individual, group and community). MHBC, defined as a change in at least two health risk behaviours, and cardiovascular risk (expressed in % points) were the outcomes used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER). Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were estimated and used to calculate incremental cost-utility ratios (ICUR). Missing data was imputed and bootstrapping with 1000 replications was used to handle uncertainty in the modelling results. RESULTS: The study included 3062 participants. Intervention costs were €295 higher than usual care costs. Five per-cent additional patients in the intervention group did a MHBC compared to usual care patients. Differences in QALYS or cardiovascular risk between-group were close to 0 (- 0.01 and 0.04 respectively). The ICER was €5598 per extra health behaviour change in one patient and €6926 per one-point reduction in cardiovascular risk from a societal perspective. The cost-utility analysis showed that the intervention increased costs and has no effect, in terms of QALYs, compared to usual care from a societal perspective. Cost-utility planes showed high uncertainty surrounding the ICUR. Sensitivity analysis showed results in line with the main analysis. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of EIRA intervention cannot be fully established and its recommendation should be conditioned by results on medium-long term effects. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03136211 . Registered 02 May 2017 - Retrospectively registered.

Who Suffers From Pharmaceutical Poverty and What Are Their Needs? Evidence From a Spanish Region.

Background: Pharmaceutical poverty occurs when a patient cannot afford the cost of prescribed medication and/or medical products. Nonprofit organizations are covering the cost of medication to those patients in some contexts. The aim of the study was to describe the population of beneficiaries of the PB, a nongovernmental organization based on the primary healthcare system, which provides free-of-charge access to medicines and their utilization pattern of medicines and healthcare products. Methods: This was an observational study using PB beneficiary data collected between November 2017 and December 2018 in Catalonia. The Catalan Health Service provided information from the general population. A descriptive analysis of the beneficiaries' characteristics was conducted and compared to the general population. Results: The beneficiaries (N = 1,206) were mainly adults with a low level of education, unemployed, with functional disability, and with ≥1 child. Compared with the general population, the beneficiaries were older, had a lower level of education, showed a higher prevalence of functional disability, were less likely to be Spanish, and were more likely to be divorced and unemployed. The beneficiaries were polymedicated, and most were using medication related to the nervous (79%), musculoskeletal (68%), and cardiovascular system (56%) and alimentary tract and metabolism (68%). Almost 19% of beneficiaries used healthcare products. Female beneficiaries were older and more likely to be divorced or widowed, employed, and with children. Compared to men, women were more likely to use medicines for pain and mental disorders. The pediatric group used medications for severe, chronic conditions (heart diseases, autoimmune diseases, conduct disorders, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Conclusion: Patients with severe, chronic, and disabling conditions are affected by pharmaceutical poverty. While the system of copayment remains unchanged, family physicians and pediatricians should explore economic barriers to treatment and direct their patients to resources that help to cover the cost of treatment.

Use of Mental Health Services for Patients Diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorders in Primary Care.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the most disabling diseases worldwide, generating high use of health services. Previous studies have shown that Mental Health Services (MHS) use is associated with patient and Family Physician (FP) factors. The aim of this study was to investigate MHS use in a naturalistic sample of MDD outpatients and the factors influencing use of services in specialized psychiatric care, to know the natural mental healthcare pathway. Non-randomized clinical trial including newly depressed Primary Care (PC) patients (n = 263) with a 12-month follow-up (from 2013 to 2015). Patient sociodemographic variables were assessed along with clinical variables (mental disorder diagnosis, severity of depression or anxiety, quality of life, disability, beliefs about illness and medication). FP (n = 53) variables were also evaluated. A multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to assess factors associated with public or private MHS use. Subjects were clustered by FP. Having previously used MHS was associated with the use of MHS. The use of public MHS was associated with worse perception of quality of life. No other sociodemographic, clinical, nor FP variables were associated with the use of MHS. Patient self-perception is a factor that influences the use of services, in addition to having used them before. This is in line with Value-Based Healthcare, which propose to put the focus on the patient, who is the one who must define which health outcomes are relevant to him.