The Feasibility and Acceptability of a Clinical Pharmacist-delivered Intervention to Reduce Bothersome Health Symptoms from Polypharmacy and Alcohol Use and Communicate Risk among People with HIV: Pilot Study Protocol.

Among persons with HIV (PWH), unhealthy alcohol use and polypharmacy contribute to bothersome symptoms (e.g., fatigue, dizziness, memory loss). However, effective risk communication targeting these associations is challenging. The HIV and Alcohol Research center focused on Polypharmacy (HARP) is conducting a pilot study that will generate feasibility and acceptability data on a clinical pharmacist-delivered counseling intervention targeting the modification of unhealthy alcohol use and polypharmacy in PWH. Counseling is guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills-Motivational Interviewing (IMB-MI) model. Herein, we describe the study protocol. This pilot uses a one-group pre-test/post-test design. We will recruit 50 participants from those who participated in the consented cohort of the Veterans Aging Cohort Study. Participants must be prescribed ≥ 5 long-term medications, have a self-reported Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test score > 0, and be living with HIV. We will exclude those with moderate-severe alcohol use disorder as identified by an Alcohol Symptom Checklist score ≥ 4. Data are collected using three self-administered surveys (baseline, immediately after booster intervention, and 30-days post-intervention), two PEth blood tests (baseline, 30 days post-intervention), and medication data from the electronic health record (baseline). The intervention includes a 60-minute IMB-MI-based counseling session followed by a booster session 2 weeks later. Some participants will also be asked to participate in a qualitative interview to provide feedback on the intervention. The pilot investigates the impact of an intervention on alcohol consumption and the use of multiple medications among PWH, exploring how best to reduce bothersome symptoms, communicate risk, and support behavior change in this population.

RESUMEN: El consumo dañino de alcohol y la polifarmacia contribuyen a síntomas molestos (fatiga, mareos, pérdida de memoria) entre las personas con VIH (PCV). Pero es difícil comunicar el riesgo de estas asociaciones. El centro de HIV and Alcohol Research focused on Polypharmacy (HARP) produce un estudio piloto que investiga la viabilidad y aceptabilidad de una intervención asesoramiento proporcionada por farmacéuticos clínicos que enfoque en la modificación del consumo dañino de alcohol y la polifarmacia por PCV. El asesoramiento está guiado por el modelo de Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills-Motivational Interviewing (IMB-MI). Este piloto utiliza un diseño de prueba-previa y posterior de un solo grupo. Reclutaremos a 50 participantes consentidas del Veteran's Aging Cohort Study (VACS). Ellos deben recetar ≥ 5 medicamentos a largo plazo, tener > 0 en la Prueba de Identificación de Trastornos por Consumo de Alcohol y vivir con VIH. Excluiremos los niveles moderados a severos identificado por la Lista de Verificación de Síntomas de alcohol ≥ 4. Los datos se recopilan mediante tres encuestas autoadministradas (inicial, después del refuerzo y 30 días después), dos pruebas de sangre (inicial y 30 días después) y datos de la historia clínica electrónica (inicial). La intervención consiste en una sesión de asesoramiento IMB-MI de 60 minutos seguida de otra sesión 2 semanas después. Haberá una entrevista cualitativa con algunos participantes. El piloto investiga el impacto de una intervención sobre el consumo de alcohol y la polifarmacia y explora la mejor manera de reducir los síntomas molestos, comunicar el riesgo y apoyar el cambio de comportamiento entre PCV.

Development of a Parent-Reported Outcome Measure for Febrile Infants ≤60 Days Old.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop a parent-reported outcome measure for febrile infants 60 days or younger evaluated in the emergency department. METHODS: We conducted a 3-part study: (1) individual, semistructured interviews with parents of febrile infants 60 days or younger to generate potential items for the measure; (2) expert review with pediatric emergency medicine physicians and member checking with parents, who rated each item's clarity and relevance using 4-point scales; and (3) cognitive interviews with a new sample of parents, who gave feedback and rated the measure's ease of use on a 4-point scale. The measure was iteratively revised during each part of the development process. RESULTS: In part 1, we interviewed 24 parents of 21 infants. Interviews revealed several themes: parents' experiences with medical care, communication, and decision making; parents' emotions, particularly worry, fear, and stress; the infant's outcomes valued by parents; and the impact of the infant's illness on the family. From these themes, we identified 22 potential items for inclusion in the measure. In part 2, 10 items were revised for clarity based on feedback from physicians and parents, primarily under the domains of parents' emotions and the infant's outcomes. In part 3, we further revised the measure for clarity and added an item. The final measure included 23 items and was rated as excellent in its ease of use. CONCLUSIONS: The 23-item parent-reported outcome measure includes the experiences and outcomes important to parents. Further studies are needed to evaluate the measure's psychometric properties.

The Patient Care Ownership Scale: External Validation of an Instrument that Measures Patient Care Ownership Among Internal Medicine Trainees-a Multi-Institutional Study.

BACKGROUND: Patient care ownership improves accountability, clinical skills, and quality of patient care among resident physicians, but appears to be gradually eroding. Research is limited by the lack of a reliable, objective measure of ownership. OBJECTIVE: To validate the Patient Care Ownership Scale, an instrument that measures decision ownership among internal medicine residents. DESIGN: Multi-institutional, cross-sectional study using a 66-item, online survey that queried residents on ownership's key constructs (advocacy, responsibility, accountability, follow-through, knowledge, communication, initiative, continuity of care, autonomy, self-efficacy, and perceived ownership) as well as mood and burnout. PARTICIPANTS: Internal medicine residents in five geographically diverse residency programs completing an inpatient rotation. MAIN MEASURES: We performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis in two randomly split groups to evaluate for subscales and inform item reduction. We conducted reliability testing with Cronbach's α. We performed bivariate analyses to examine construct validity and identify correlates of ownership. KEY RESULTS: Of the 785 eligible residents, 625 completed the survey (80% response rate); we included responses from 563 in the analysis. We identified three factors corresponding to assertiveness, conscientiousness, and confidence or perceived competence. After iterative item reduction, the 13-item ownership scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.82). Convergent validity was supported by a significant association with perceived ownership (eliminated from the final scale) (r = 0.67, p < 0.001). There was a positive association between ownership and training level (p < 0.01) and prior experience in the intensive care unit (p < 0.001). There were significant, inverse relationships between ownership and self-defined burnout (r = - 0.24, p < 0.001), depression (r = - 0.22, p < 0.001), detachment (r = - 0.26, p < 0.001), and frustration (r = - 0.15, p = 0.02), and significant positive associations between ownership and feeling energetic (r = 0.29, p < 0.001), happy (r = 0.33, p < 0.001), and fulfilled (r = 0.34, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The Patient Care Ownership Scale is valid in diverse residency program settings. Medical educators and investigators can use our scale to assess interventions aimed at fostering ownership.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the PrEP Sexual Expectancies (PSEXS) Scale.

The goal of this study was to develop and evaluate psychometric properties of the PrEP Sexual Expectancies Scale (PSEXS). The PSEXS represents a range of expectations for how PrEP use will affect one's sexual experience. The scale was developed to understand perceived reinforcements of PrEP use among men who have sex with men (MSM), including sexual risk-taking. The study builds upon Expectancy Theory to develop a measure of sex-related PrEP expectancies with a representative sample of 1155 MSM participants from Ukraine and 408 MSM participants from the U.S. Expectancy items represented two domains: increased sexual risk-taking and enhancement of sexual experience. Confirmatory analyses showed that a two-factor model provided a good fit to the data. The PSEXS scale had a high internal reliability in both samples (Ukraine α = 0.88, U.S. α = 0.83), and the identified factor structure explains a large amount of variance in both samples. Recent studies suggest that expectations of intimacy and better sexual experience can be a significant deciding factor for PrEP uptake. The PSEXS provides researchers with a useful measure for examining MSM's expectancy beliefs about the impact of PrEP use on their sexual life.

Development of a Smartphone App to Predict and Improve the Rates of Suicidal Ideation Among Transgender Persons (TransLife): Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Transgender people are at a high risk of suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and deaths. Among transgender individuals, 77% and 41% engage in suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in their lifetime, respectively, which exceeds the general population rates (9.2% and 2.7%, respectively). Traditionally, suicide risk factors have been studied over a long period between measurements, making it difficult to understand the short-term variability in suicide risk. Mobile phone apps offer an opportunity to understand the immediate precursors of suicidality through the assessment of behaviors and moods in real time. This is the first study to use a mobile phone app (TransLife) to understand the short-term risk factors for suicide among transgender individuals. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to beta test the usability of an evidence-informed mobile health (mHealth) suicide prevention phone app, TransLife. The primary aims are to obtain preliminary data on user engagement and satisfaction with the app, and to assess the feasibility of completing ecological momentary assessments (mood logs) within the app. METHODS: We used qualitative methods and an exploratory research approach that combined naturalistic app use, focus groups, and semistructured phone interviews. The focus group was informed about the development of the prototype. We conducted a 3-week evaluation to determine engagement and obtain detailed user feedback about the app. After participation in the pilot, phone-based, semistructured, and audio-recorded exit interviews were conducted with the research participants. RESULTS: In total, 16 transgender individuals participated in this study. On average, users logged in 4 (SD 2.7) times a week and spent approximately 5 (SD 3.5) minutes on the app per log-in. A total of 6 major themes emerged in this study. These themes focused on the app's functionality, satisfaction with using the app, perceived ease of use, perceived safety of providing personal data within the app, trusting the app enough to share personal feelings, and features that make this app engaging. These themes suggest that TransLife is an engaging, useful, and acceptable mHealth intervention. Participants reported that the app was easy to use and understand, supported mental self-care, promoted self-awareness, and helped them identify triggers of negative moods. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this pilot study indicate that TransLife is an engaging, acceptable, and potentially effective mHealth intervention. Transgender participants reported many advantages of using TransLife, such as being able to track their mood, connecting to the community, and accessing local resources. This study provides initial support for the acceptability and usability of TransLife as an mHealth intervention designed for the transgender community.

Predictors of Surrogate Decision Makers Selecting Life-Sustaining Therapy for Severe Acute Brain Injury Patients: An Analysis of US Population Survey Data.

BACKGROUND: Patients with a severe acute brain injury admitted to the intensive care unit often have a poor neurological prognosis. In these situations, a clinician is responsible for conducting a goals-of-care conversation with the patient's surrogate decision makers. The diversity in thought and background of surrogate decision makers can present challenges during these conversations. For this reason, our study aimed to identify predictive characteristics of US surrogate decision makers' favoring life-sustaining treatment (LST) over comfort measures only for patients with severe acute brain injury. METHODS: We analyzed data from a cross-sectional survey study that had recruited 1588 subjects from an online probability-based US population sample. Seven hundred and ninety-two subjects had randomly received a hypothetical scenario regarding a relative intubated with severe acute brain injury with a prognosis of severe disability but with the potential to regain some consciousness. Seven hundred and ninety-six subjects had been randomized to a similar scenario in which the relative was projected to remain vegetative. For each scenario, we conducted univariate analyses and binary logistic regressions to determine predictors of LST selection among available respondent characteristics. RESULTS: 15.0% of subjects selected LST for the severe disability scenario compared to 11.4% for the vegetative state scenario (p = 0.07), with those selecting LST in both groups expressing less decisional certainty. For the severe disability scenario, independent predictors of LST included having less than a high school education (adjusted OR = 2.87, 95% CI = 1.23-6.76), concern regarding prognostic accuracy (7.64, 3.61-16.15), and concern regarding the cost of care (4.07, 1.80-9.18). For the vegetative scenario, predictors included the youngest age group (30-44 years, 3.33, 1.02-10.86), male gender (3.26, 1.75-6.06), English as a second language (2.94, 1.09-7.89), Evangelical Protestant (3.72, 1.28-10.84) and Catholic (4.01, 1.72-9.36) affiliations, and low income (< $25 K). CONCLUSION: Several demographic and decisional characteristics of US surrogate decision makers predict LST selection for patients with severe brain injury with varying degrees of poor prognosis. Surrogates concerned about the cost of medical care may nevertheless be inclined to select LST, albeit with high levels of decisional uncertainty, for patients projected to have severe disabilities.

Parents' Perspectives on Communication and Shared Decision Making for Febrile Infants ≤60 Days Old.

OBJECTIVES: Decisions about the management of febrile infants ≤60 days old may be well suited for shared decision making (SDM). Our objectives were to learn about parents' experiences with receiving and understanding information in the emergency department (ED) and their perspectives on SDM, including for decisions about lumbar puncture (LP). METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with 23 parents of febrile infants ≤60 days old evaluated in the pediatric ED at an urban, academic medical center. Interviews assessed parents' experiences in the ED and their perspectives on communication and SDM. Two investigators coded the interview transcripts, refined codes, and identified themes using the constant comparative method. RESULTS: Parents' unmet need for information negatively impacted parents' understanding, stress, and trust in the physician. Themes for parents' perspectives on SDM included the following: (1) giving parents the opportunity to express their opinions and concerns builds confidence in the decision making process, (2) parents' preferences for participation in decision making vary considerably, and (3) different perceptions about risks influence parents' preferences about having their infant undergo an LP. Although some parents would defer decision making to the physician, they still wanted to be able to express their opinions. Other parents wanted to have the final say in decision making. Parents valued risks and benefits of having their child undergo an LP differently, which influenced their preferences. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians need to adequately inform parents to facilitate parents' understanding of information and gain their trust. Shared decision making may be warranted for decisions about whether to perform an LP, although parents' preferences for participating in decision making vary.

Dual motivational model of pre-exposure prophylaxis use intention: model testing among men who have sex men in Ukraine.

The Dual Motivational Model of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use intention (DMM) is a new theoretical model recently tested among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The model posits that there are two main motivational pathways to use PrEP: the Protection Motivation Pathway and the Expectancy Motivation Pathway. The Protection Motivation Pathway suggests that the intention to use PrEP is triggered by the desire to protect oneself from HIV, while the Expectancy Motivation Pathway suggests that PrEP use intention is triggered by the expectation to have better sexual experiences on PrEP. Although both motivators have been tested separately, only the DMM of PrEP use intention suggests that both pathways simultaneously influence an individual's intention to use PrEP. We used data from 1078 MSM in Ukraine to test the DMM. Results show that the relationship of the pathways is similar among Ukrainian and American MSM. Potential explanations for minor differences may be related to cultural and contextual differences, and the different trajectories for PrEP roll-out. Successful validation of the DMM for PrEP use intention as a theoretical model suggests that it may be applied to other cultures contemplating PrEP use delivery to target health promotion among high risk MSM.

Do Decision Aids Benefit Patients with Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain? A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the effect of patient decision aids for adults making treatment decisions regarding the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials of adults using patient decision aids to make treatment decisions for chronic musculoskeletal pain in the outpatient setting. RESULTS: Of 477 records screened, 17 met the inclusion criteria. Chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions included osteoarthritis of the hip, knee, or trapeziometacarpal joint and back pain. Thirteen studies evaluated the use of a decision aid for deciding between surgical and nonsurgical management. The remaining four studies evaluated decision aids for nonsurgical treatment options. Outcomes included decision quality, pain, function, and surgery utilization. The effects of decision aids on decision-making outcomes were mixed. Comparing decision aids with usual care, all five studies that examined knowledge scores found improvement in patient knowledge. None of the four studies that evaluated satisfaction with the decision-making process found a difference with use of a decision aid. There was limited and inconsistent data on other decision-related outcomes. Of the eight studies that evaluated surgery utilization, seven found no difference in surgery rates with use of a decision aid. Five studies made comparisons between different types of decision aids, and there was no clearly superior format. CONCLUSIONS: Decision aids may improve patients' knowledge about treatment options for chronic musculoskeletal pain but largely did not impact other outcomes. Future efforts should focus on improving the effectiveness of decision aids and incorporating nonpharmacologic and nonsurgical management options.

Association between perceived benefits and receipt of radiotherapy among older breast cancer patients.

While radiotherapy can be safely omitted in many older women with early-stage breast cancer after lumpectomy, approximately two-thirds of eligible women still undergo this treatment. We surveyed 63 older women with stage I (T1N0M0), estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer who underwent lumpectomy, and were considering/receiving radiotherapy. Participants perceived that radiotherapy would reduce their 10-year risk of local recurrence by an average of 18.7%, which is significantly higher than the 8% risk reduction reported in literature. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that participants who reported a large perceived benefit were significantly more likely to undergo radiotherapy treatment (odds ratio 10.34; 95% confidence interval: 1.66-66.35).

Comparison of patient-reported outcomes measurement information system and legacy instruments in multiple domains among older veterans with chronic back pain.

BACKGROUND: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) results in significant physical, psycho-social and socioeconomic burden. Identifying efficient and reliable patient reported outcome measures is critical for research and clinical purposes. The NIH's Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments have not been compared to validated "legacy" instruments in older adults with cLBP. This study evaluates construct (convergent and discriminant) validity and time to complete (TTC) PROMIS as compared to legacy instruments. METHODS: We enrolled older Veterans (age 60+) with cLBP with/without leg pain scheduled for lumbar epidural steroid injections. Subjects completed PROMIS computer adaptive test item banks and corresponding legacy instruments in the following domains: pain intensity, interference, and behavior; functional status; depression and anxiety; fatigue; sleep and social functioning. Convergent and discriminant validity between PROMIS and legacy instruments was evaluated using Spearman rank order correlations; Mann-Whitney U tests compared TTC. RESULTS: Of the 71 Veterans recruited, the median (IQR) age was 67 (63-71) years old, 94% were men, 76% were White, 17% Black, and 96% were Non-Hispanic. Spearman correlations between PROMIS and legacy instruments showed moderate to very strong convergent validity in all domains (r = 0.4-1.0), except for social functioning and pain behavior (PROMIS Pain Behavior with Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire). The total median TTC for all PROMIS items was significantly shorter than legacy items, 8 min 50 s vs 29 min 14 s respectively, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Given time efficiency of using PROMIS, along with strong construct validity, PROMIS instruments are a practical choice for measuring multidimensional PROs in older Veterans with cLBP for both research and clinical purposes.

Individualized decision aid for diverse women with lupus nephritis (IDEA-WON): A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Treatment decision-making regarding immunosuppressive therapy is challenging for individuals with lupus. We assessed the effectiveness of a decision aid for immunosuppressive therapy in lupus nephritis. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In a United States multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial (RCT), adult women with lupus nephritis, mostly from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds with low socioeconomic status (SES), seen in in- or outpatient settings, were randomized to an individualized, culturally tailored, computerized decision aid versus American College of Rheumatology (ACR) lupus pamphlet (1:1 ratio), using computer-generated randomization. We hypothesized that the co-primary outcomes of decisional conflict and informed choice regarding immunosuppressive medications would improve more in the decision aid group. Of 301 randomized women, 298 were analyzed; 47% were African-American, 26% Hispanic, and 15% white. Mean age (standard deviation [SD]) was 37 (12) years, 57% had annual income of <$40,000, and 36% had a high school education or less. Compared with the provision of the ACR lupus pamphlet (n = 147), participants randomized to the decision aid (n = 151) had (1) a clinically meaningful and statistically significant reduction in decisional conflict, 21.8 (standard error [SE], 2.5) versus 12.7 (SE, 2.0; p = 0.005) and (2) no difference in informed choice in the main analysis, 41% versus 31% (p = 0.08), but clinically meaningful and statistically significant difference in sensitivity analysis (net values for immunosuppressives positive [in favor] versus negative [against]), 50% versus 35% (p = 0.006). Unresolved decisional conflict was lower in the decision aid versus pamphlet groups, 22% versus 44% (p < 0.001). Significantly more patients in the decision aid versus pamphlet group rated information to be excellent for understanding lupus nephritis (49% versus 33%), risk factors (43% versus 27%), medication options (50% versus 33%; p ≤ 0.003 for all); and the ease of use of materials was higher in the decision aid versus pamphlet groups (51% versus 38%; p = 0.006). Key study limitations were the exclusion of men, short follow-up, and the lack of clinical outcomes, including medication adherence. CONCLUSIONS: An individualized decision aid was more effective than usual care in reducing decisional conflict for choice of immunosuppressive medications in women with lupus nephritis. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02319525.

Patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To provide an overview of recent articles discussing patient preferences for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies examined patient preferences for RA treatment in several populations, finding that most participants were willing to accept certain risks of adverse effects to gain potential benefits. Perspectives regarding cannabis were studied, with patients describing medical marijuana as an alternative therapy to be used with prescription medications or as means of tapering off these medications. Treatment preferences for different RA therapies were explored using a conjoint analysis survey and five distinct preference phenotypes emerged, with members of the largest group most concerned with the cost of medications. Other discrete choice studies demonstrated route of administration as an important attribute influencing treatment preferences, with patients expressing preference for various modes in different studies. Patient preferences for route of administration have demonstrated preference for newer autoinjectors over prefilled syringes as well as currently marketed autoinjectors. Incorporating patient preferences in clinical practice recommendations was described in the development of the 2015 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) RA treatment guidelines as well as the 2017 ACR/American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons guidelines for perioperative management of antirheumatic medications. In addition, other studies explored preferences with regard to predictive testing, medication intensification and tapering, treatment goals, and psychological support. SUMMARY: Our review of recent studies show variability in patient preferences for RA treatment, highlighting the importance of incorporating patient input into the treatment approach.

The Patient Care Ownership Scale: Development of an Instrument to Measure Patient Care Ownership Among Internal Medicine Trainees.

BACKGROUND: Patient care ownership is essential to delivering high-quality medical care but appears to be eroding among trainees. The lack of an objective measure has limited the study of ownership in physicians. OBJECTIVE: To develop an instrument to measure psychological ownership of patient care. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Internal medicine trainees in a large, academic hospital completing an inpatient rotation. MAIN MEASURES: Our scale prototype adapted an existing ownership scale (developed in the non-medical setting) based on themes identified in qualitative studies of patient care ownership. We conducted cognitive interviews to determine face validity of the scale items. Our finalized scale measures ownership's key constructs: advocacy, responsibility, accountability, follow-through, knowledge, communication, initiative, continuity of care, autonomy, and perceived ownership. We distributed an online, anonymous, 46-question survey to 219 residents; 192 residents completed the survey; and 166 responses were included in the analysis. We calculated Cronbach's α to determine the scale's internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore possible subscales. We examined construct validity using bivariate and correlational analysis. KEY RESULTS: The 15-item ownership scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.89). We identified three possible subscales corresponding to assertiveness, being the "go-to" person, and diligence. Training level and prior intensive care unit experience significantly predicted ownership (p < 0.01). There was no significant relationship between ownership and age, gender, inpatient service type, call schedule, patient turnover, or supervisory experience of the attending physician. We found a significant negative correlation between ownership and perceived degree of burnout (r = - 0.33), depression (r = - 0.24), detachment (r = - 0.35), and frustration (r = - 0.31) and a significant positive association between ownership and fulfillment (r = 0.37) and happiness (r = 0.36). CONCLUSION: We developed an instrument to quantify patient care ownership in residents. Our scale demonstrates good internal consistency and preliminary evidence of validity. With further validation, we expect this to be a valuable tool to evaluate interventions aimed at improving ownership.

Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who have Sex with Men: Dual Motivational Model of Intention to Use Pre-exposure Prophylaxis.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) account for most new HIV infections in the United States. Despite representing a fraction of the population, MSM make up an estimated 65% of new infections. To address this epidemic, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended to supplement condom use. Despite its effectiveness, PrEP uptake among MSM is low. Few studies have employed theoretical approaches to understand PrEP use intention. Incorporating factors like safe sex fatigue, expectation of better sexual experiences, and perceived risk are proposed in this dual motivational path model of PrEP use intention. This model hypothesized that PrEP use intention is influenced by two key pathways: (1) protection motivation pathway, and (2) sexual expectancy pathway. Data were collected using social networking applications from 402 MSM. The model was tested using structural equation modeling. We elaborate the complex decision-making process proposed by this novel theoretical model and discuss its practical implications.

Optimizing access to PrEP based on MSM preferences: results of a discrete choice experiment.

INTRODUCTION: Despite documented effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), PrEP uptake remains low among men who have sex with men (MSM), the population bearing the highest HIV burden in the U.S. OBJECTIVES: To elicit MSM stakeholder preferences in order to inform program development aimed at improving uptake of PrEP. METHODS: 554 MSM were recruited through social networking applications to complete a stated preference [choice-based conjoint (CBC)] survey. Respondents completed 14 choice tasks presenting experimentally varied combinations of five attributes related to PrEP administration (dosing frequency, dispensing venue, prescription practices, adherence support, and costs). Latent class analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of each attribute and preferences across seven possible PrEP delivery programs. RESULTS: Preferences clustered into five groups. PrEP affordability was the most influential attribute across groups, followed by dosing strategy. Only one group liked daily and on-demand PrEP equally (n = 74) while the other four groups disliked the on-demand intermittent option. Monthly injectable PrEP is preferred by two (n = 210) out of the five groups, including young MSM. Two groups (n = 267) were willing to take PrEP across all the hypothetical programs. One group (n = 183) almost exclusively considered costs in their decision-making. Participants in the most racially diverse among groups (n = 88) had a very low level of interest in PrEP initiation. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that PrEP uptake will be maximized by making daily PrEP affordable to MSM and streamlining PrEP consultation visits for young MSM. Young MSM should be prioritized for injectable PrEP when it becomes available. A successful PrEP program will spend resources on removing structural barriers to PrEP access and educating MSM of color, and will emphasize protection of privacy to maximize uptake among rural/suburban MSM.

Preference phenotypes to facilitate shared decision-making in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Implementing treat-to-target (TTT) strategies requires that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and their rheumatologists decide on how best to escalate care when indicated. The objective of this study was to develop preference phenotypes to facilitate shared decision-making at the point of care for patients failing methotrexate monotherapy. METHODS: We developed a conjoint analysis survey to measure the preferences of patient with RA for triple therapy, biologics and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors. The survey included seven attributes: administration, onset, bothersome side effects, serious infection, very rare side effects, amount of information and cost. Each choice set (n=12) included three hypothetical profiles. Preference phenotypes were identified by applying latent class analysis to the conjoint data. RESULTS: 1273 participants completed the survey. A five-group solution was chosen based on progressively lower values of the Akaike and Bayesian information criteria. Members of the largest group (group 3: 38.4%) were most strongly impacted by the cost of the medication. The next largest group (group 1: 25.8%) was most strongly influenced by the risk of bothersome side effects. Members of group 2 (11.2%) were also risk averse, but were most concerned with the risk of very rare side effects. Group 4 (6.6%) strongly preferred oral over parenteral medications. Members of group 5 (18.0%) were most strongly and equally influenced by onset of action and the risk of serious infections. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment preferences of patients with RA can be measured and represented by distinct phenotypes. Our results underscore the variability in patients' values and the importance of using a shared decision-making approach to implement TTT.

Barriers to treatment adjustment within a treat to target strategy in rheumatoid arthritis: a secondary analysis of the TRACTION trial.

Objectives: Adherence to a treat to target (TTT) strategy is a recommended paradigm for RA; however, research shows there are many barriers to implementation. We conducted a trial to improve TTT implementation, and herein examine barriers to treatment adjustment within TTT among patient visits not in agreement with the TTT paradigm. Methods: Chart review assessed TTT implementation based on documentation of four items: designation of a treatment target, recording a disease activity measure, shared-decision making when applicable and adjusting treatment when disease activity was not at target. A treatment decision not in agreement with the TTT paradigm was defined as lack of treatment adjustment when disease activity was not at the pre-determined treatment target. Providers were encouraged to report the barriers to treatment change; these were categorized and analysed by study staff. Multiple barriers were possible for one visit. Results: Eighty-three visits not in agreement with the TTT strategy were observed in 74 patients, during which 90 reported barriers to treatment adjustment were noted. Common barriers to adjusting treatment included patient preference in 37.1% of visits and elevated disease activity measure despite no objective evidence of active RA in 38.6% of visits. Conclusion: An elevated disease activity measure not reflective of RA disease activity and patient preference are the two leading barriers to treatment adjustment to TTT in RA. Understanding barriers to adherence should guide interventions aimed at using better markers of disease activity and improving alignment with patient preference, with the overarching goal of enhancing TTT adherence.

Vertebral fractures among breast cancer survivors in China: a cross-sectional study of prevalence and health services gaps.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors are at high risk for fracture due to cancer treatment-induced bone loss, however, data is scarce regarding the scope of this problem from an epidemiologic and health services perspective among Chinese women with breast cancer. METHODS: We designed a cross-sectional study comparing prevalence of vertebral fractures among age- and BMI-matched women from two cohorts. Women in the Breast Cancer Survivors cohort were enrolled from a large cancer hospital in Beijing. Eligibility criteria included age 50-70 years, initiation of treatment for breast cancer at least 5 years prior to enrollment, and no history of metabolic bone disease or bone metastases. Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics; fracture-related risk factors, screening and preventive measures; breast cancer history; and thoracolumbar x-ray. The matched comparator group was selected from participants enrolled in the Peking Vertebral Fracture Study, an independent cohort of healthy community-dwelling postmenopausal women from Beijing. RESULTS: Two hundred breast cancer survivors were enrolled (mean age 57.5 ± 4.9 years), and compared with 200 matched healthy women. Twenty-two (11%) vertebral fractures were identified among breast cancer survivors compared with 7 (3.5%) vertebral fractures in the comparison group, yielding an adjusted odds ratio for vertebral fracture of 4.16 (95%CI 1.69-10.21, p < 0.01). The majority had early stage (85.3%) and estrogen and/or progesterone receptor positive (84.6%) breast cancer. Approximately half of breast cancer survivors reported taking calcium supplements, 6.1% reported taking vitamin D supplements, and only 27% reported having a bone density scan since being diagnosed with breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Despite a four-fold increased odds of prevalent vertebral fracture among Chinese breast cancer survivors in our study, rates of screening for osteoporosis and fracture risk were low reflecting a lack of standardization of care regarding cancer-treatment induced bone loss.

An Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model of PrEP Uptake.

Despite documented effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), PrEP uptake remains low among at-risk populations. The 2015 CDC report estimates that about 1.2 million people in the US have indications for PrEP. However, only 49,158 or 4% of the targeted population are currently using PrEP. Efforts to optimize uptake of PrEP may be facilitated by the development of a comprehensive theoretical framework which can be used to understand reasons for poor uptake and to develop interventions to maximize PrEP uptake and adherence. This article reviews research on correlates of PrEP uptake and presents findings organized within an Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model framework. In the context of PrEP uptake, the IMB model asserts that to the extent that at-risk groups are well-informed about PrEP, motivated to act on their knowledge, and have necessary behavioral skills to seek out and initiate PrEP regimen, they will successfully overcome obstacles to initiate and adhere to PrEP. The article proposes an adaptation the IMB model for PrEP uptake, provides empirical support for the adapted IMB model extracted from related research, and discusses its application in PrEP uptake interventions.