Public Awareness on Cancer-Associated Thrombosis among the Greek Population: First Findings from the ROADMAP-CAT Awareness Study.

Background Cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) is the second cause of mortality after cancer itself. CAT is underestimated as a health challenge among oncologists, whereas the levels of awareness among patients and the public have not been systematically assessed and followed in the European Union countries. Aim The Prospective Risk Assessment and Management of Patient with CAT (ROADMAP-CAT) Awareness study is an investigator-initiated, descriptive and nonexperimental study with a cross-sectional design and it explores CAT risk awareness among cancer patients and the general public in Greece to provide an impetus for health policy interventions and a benchmark against which impact of any future interventions may be assessed. Methods A total of 1,003 participants aged above 18 years were contacted by phone after random selection from the national telephone catalogue. Participation was voluntary and completely anonymous, and a structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. Results Among respondents, almost one-third (32.3%) reported CAT awareness, while only one in five (21.7%) were aware of the signs and symptoms of venous thromboembolism (VTE). Among patients with a personal history of cancer or of VTE, 47 and 58%, respectively, were aware of CAT risk. Of those aware of the association, 35.2% identified their treating physician as the main source of information. The level of awareness did not significantly differ by responders' demographics. Conclusion The ROADMAP-CAT Awareness study revealed very low levels of awareness on CAT and VTE risk both among the general public and cancer patients in Greece. Awareness of the signs and symptoms of VTE was also particularly low. Treating physicians are not actively engaging in educating their patients about CAT. Public awareness of the increased risk of VTE among cancer patients is critical to prevent and diagnose the disease early. It is imperative that a structured campaign supports medical professionals to take the time to increase awareness and educate their patients on this matter if to improve morbidity and mortality of cancer patients.

Access to health care for patients with thalassaemia in Greece: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and clinical burden of beta-thalassaemia in Greece is high. Little information is available on the unmet needs of patients with beta-thalassaemia and barriers to access to care. AIMS: This study investigated barriers that patients with transfusion-dependent beta-thalassaemia in Greece face when accessing care and the associations between socioeconomic factors and access to care. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2018 and January 2019. The sample consisted of 116 beta-thalassaemia patient-members of two Panhellenic patient associations for people with thalassaemia. All respondents were transfusion-dependent. The survey customized and used the Patient Access Partnership 5As of access tool to measure participants' access to health care services (subscales: accessibility, adequacy, affordability, appropriateness and availability). Data on their socioeconomic characteristics were also recorded. The association between the total score of each subscale and patient characteristics was examined using the Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis tests. RESULTS: Respondents considered inpatient services less adequate and appropriate, and outpatient services and laboratory tests less affordable. Outpatient services were also perceived as less available. Participants' income was statistically significantly associated with all the subscales except accessibility, and rural residence was significantly associated with all five subscales. CONCLUSION: Barriers in access to health care among beta-thalassaemia patients receiving transfusions still persist, especially for those who live far from transfusion centres and have lower incomes. It is important to understand and map current unmet medical and social needs of beta-thalassaemia patients in Greece, in order to design and implement a targeted health policy that can measurably improve patients' lives.

Profile and factors associated with glycaemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes in Greece: results from the diabetes registry.

BACKGROUND: Strict glycaemic control early in the treatment process has been shown to reduce the occurrence of micro- and macro- vascular complications of diabetes in the long-term. Thus, treatment guidelines advise early intensification of treatment to achieve glycaemic control goals. However, evidence in Greece suggests that, despite guideline recommendations, glycaemic control among patients with T2DM remains challenging. This study presents the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM in Greece using data from an electronic registry designed specifically for this treatment category and investigates the factors that are independently associated with glycaemic control. METHODS: This is a multi-center, observational, cross-sectional study to investigate epidemiological and clinical factors affecting glycaemic control among patients with T2DM in Greece. Data was collected via a web-based disease registry, the Diabetes Registry, which operated from January 1st to December 31st, 2017. Five large specialized diabetes centers operating in Greek hospitals participated in the study. RESULTS: Data for 1141 patients were retrieved (aged 63.02 ± 12.65 years, 56.9% male). Glycaemic control (Hb1Ac < 7%) was not achieved in 57.1% of patients. Factors independently associated with poor glycaemic control were: family history of diabetes [OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.06-2.23], BMI score between 25 to 30 [OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.05-4.13] or over 30 [OR: 2.12, 95% CI 1.12-4.07], elevated LDL levels [OR: 1.53, 95% 1.06-2.21] and low HDL levels [OR: 2.12, 95% CI: 1.44-3.12]. Lastly, use of injectable antidiabetic agents (in monotherapy or in combination) was less likely to be associated with poor glycaemic control versus treatment with combination of oral and injectable agents [OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.24-1.01]. This association was found to be marginally statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Inadequate lipid control, family history of diabetes and presence of obesity (ΒΜΙ ≥ 30 kg/m2) were associated with poor glycaemic control among study sample, whereas use of injectable antidiabetic agents was less likely to be associated with poor glycaemic control. These findings indicate how complex optimal glycaemic control is, highlighting the need for tailored interventions in high-risk subpopulations with T2DM.