Correction to: Assessment of stigma in patients with cystic fibrosis.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Assessment of stigma in patients with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Research that explores stigma in Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is limited. Productive cough, repeated lung infections, and periods of serious illness requiring hospitalizations are among common symptoms of CF. These symptoms may cause a negative perception by others. We developed a CF-specific Stigma Scale and tested its psychometric properties. METHODS: We conducted a focus group with 11 participants including adult patients with CF (n = 5) and their informal caregivers (n = 6). The thematic content of the focus group was analyzed to find key themes. We developed a CF-specific Stigma Scale and assessed its psychometric properties in a 3-month prospective cohort study of adult CF outpatients (n = 45). RESULTS: Stigma emerged as consistent concern for people living and caring for those with CF, affecting both patients' lives and health through the focus group. Using the newly developed CF Stigma scale, the mean baseline score was 16.6 (SD = 4.5, Range = 10-25). The CF Stigma Scale demonstrated robust psychometric properties: 1) Internal consistency: α = 0.79; 2) Mean inter-item correlation: 0.30 with good test-retest reliability; 3) Convergent validity: Positive associations with depression, severity of CF symptoms and anxiety; negative associations with validated quality of life scores were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Stigma is measurable and significantly impacts the lives of CF patients. Further research should investigate the role of stigma in patients living with CF.

A randomised controlled pilot study of standardised counselling and cost-free pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation among stroke and TIA patients.

Background Tobacco use is a major risk factor for recurrent stroke. The provision of cost-free quit smoking medications has been shown to be efficacious in increasing smoking abstinence in the general population. Objective The objective of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and obtain preliminary data on the effectiveness of providing cost-free quit smoking pharmacotherapy and counselling to smokers identified in a stroke prevention clinic. Trial design Cluster randomised controlled trial. Methods All patients seen at the Ottawa Hospital Stroke Prevention Clinic who smoked more five or more cigarettes per day, were ready to quit smoking in the next 30 days, and were willing to use pharmacotherapy were invited to participate in the study. All participants were advised to quit smoking and treated using a standardised protocol including counselling and pharmacotherapy. Participants were randomly assigned to either a prescription only usual care group or an experimental group who received a 4-week supply of cost-free quit smoking medications and a prescription for medication renewal. All patients received follow-up counselling. The primary outcome was biochemically validated quit rates at 26 weeks. The research coordinator conducting outcome assessment was blind to group allocation. Results Of 219 smokers screened, 73 were eligible, 28 consented and were randomised, and 25 completed the 26-week follow-up assessment. All 28 patients randomised were included in the analysis. The biochemically validated 7-day point prevalence abstinence rate in the experimental group compared to the usual care group was 26.6% vs 15.4% (adjusted OR 2.00, 95% CI 0.33 to 13.26; p=0.20). Conclusions It would be feasible to definitively evaluate this intervention in a large multi-site trial. Trial registration number http://ClinicalTrials.gov # UOHI2010-1.