Older Adult Preferences of Mobile Application Functionality Supporting Medication Self-Management.

Health systems and insurers alike are increasingly interested in leveraging mHealth (mobile health) tools to support patient health-related behaviors including medication adherence. However, these tools are not widely used by older patients. This study explores patient preferences for functionality in a smartphone application (app) that supports medication self-management among older adults with multiple chronic conditions. We conducted six discussion groups in Chicago, Miami, and Denver (N = 46). English-speaking older adults (55 and older) who owned smartphones and took five or more prescription medicines were invited to participate. Discussions covered familiarity with and use of current apps and challenges with taking multidrug regimens. Participants reviewed a range of possible mobile app functions and were asked to give feedback regarding the acceptability and desirability of each to support medication management. Very few participants (n = 3) reported current use of a mobile app for medication support, although all were receptive. Challenges to medication use were forgetfulness, fear of adverse events, and managing medication information from multiple sources. Desired features included (1) a list and consolidated schedule of medications, (2) identification and warning of unsafe medication interactions, (3) reminder alerts to take medicine, and (4) the ability record when medications were taken. Features relating to refill ordering, pharmacy information, and comparing costs for medication were not considered to be as important for an app.

Audit of community pharmacists' prescribing interventions: Quality assessment of a newly reimbursed service.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate community pharmacists' reimbursed prescribing interventions (called pharmaceutical opinions/POs in Canada) by determining the types of drug-related problems (DRPs) identified; the type, quality, and clinical impact of recommendations made; and variation in recommendation quality across regions, pharmacy ownership type, and pharmacy size. DESIGN: Retrospective audit of randomly sampled service documentation records. SETTING: Community pharmacies in Ontario, Canada, 3 years after implementation of a government program that reimburses pharmacies for providing DRP-based POs to physicians. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six community pharmacies in 4 regions of Ontario. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For each PO, 2 experienced clinical pharmacists independently, and then by consensus, determined the primary drug implicated and its therapeutic category, the type of DRP, and the type of prescriber recommendation. Each PO recommendation was assessed for clinical impact, evidence base, and overall quality. Chi-square analyses assessed the relationship between PO quality and pharmacy characteristics. RESULTS: Of 563 POs, 261 (46%) met reimbursement criteria for stating a DRP and prescriber recommendation. Among these eligible POs, systemic antiinfective (22%), alimentary tract and metabolism (19%), nervous system (15%), and cardiovascular (15%) drugs were most commonly identified in the DRP. Adverse drug reactions (which included drug interactions) were the most common type of DRP (42.5%), followed by "dose too high" (16%) and "needs additional therapy" (14%). Top recommendations were to change the drug (41%) and to decrease the dose (20%). The quality of the pharmacist's recommendation was judged to be good to excellent in 70% of the 261 eligible POs; quality was associated with region and ownership type. CONCLUSION: PO quality was suboptimal: the primary issue was failure to state a prescriber recommendation. Collaborative efforts are needed from community pharmacy stakeholders (schools of pharmacy, regulatory colleges, and continuing education providers) to help pharmacists enhance the quality of their POs, beginning with their clinical documentation skills.

Uptake of the MedsCheck annual medication review service in Ontario community pharmacies between 2007 and 2013.

BACKGROUND: MedsCheck Annual (MCA) is an Ontario government-funded medication review service for individuals taking 3 or more prescription medications for chronic conditions. METHODS: This cohort study analyzed linked administrative claims data from April 1, 2007, to March 31, 2013. Trends in MCA claims and recipient characteristics were examined. RESULTS: A total of 1,498,440 Ontarians (55% seniors, 55% female) received an MCA. One-third (36%) had 2 or more MCAs within 6 years. Service provision increased over time, with a sharper increase from 2010 onward. Almost half of Ontario pharmacies made at least 1 MCA claim in the first month of the program. Hypertension, respiratory disease, diabetes, psychiatric conditions and arthritis were common comorbidities. Recipients older than 65 years were most commonly dispensed an antihypertensive and/or antihyperlipidemic drug in the prior year and received an average of 11 unique prescription medications. Thirty-eight percent of recipients visited an emergency department or were hospitalized in the year prior to their first MCA. DISCUSSION: Over the first 6 years of the program, approximately 1 in 9 Ontarians received an MCA. There was rapid and widespread uptake of the service. Common chronic conditions were well represented among MCA recipients. Older MCA recipients had less emergency department use compared with population-based estimates. CONCLUSIONS: Medication reviews increased over time; however, the number of persons receiving the service more than once was low. Service delivery was generally consistent with program eligibility; however, there are some findings possibly consistent with delivery to less complex patients.

Literacy disparities in patient access and health-related use of Internet and mobile technologies.

BACKGROUND: Age and race-related disparities in technology use have been well documented, but less is known about how health literacy influences technology access and use. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between patients' literacy skills and mobile phone ownership, use of text messaging, Internet access, and use of the Internet for health-related purposes. METHODS: A secondary analysis utilizing data from 1077 primary care patients enrolled in two, multisite studies from 2011-2013. Patients were administered an in-person, structured interview. RESULTS: Patients with adequate health literacy were more likely to own a mobile phone or smartphone in comparison with patients having marginal or low literacy (mobile phone ownership: 96.8 vs. 95.2 vs. 90.1%, respectively, P < 0.001; smartphone ownership: 70.6 vs. 62.5 vs. 40.1%, P < 0.001) and to report text messaging (78.6 vs. 75.2 vs. 53.1%, P < 0.001). They were also more likely to have access to the Internet from their home (92.1 vs. 74.7 vs. 44.9%, P < 0.001) and to report using the Internet for email (93.0 vs. 75.7 vs. 38.5%, P < 0.001), browsing the web (93.9 vs. 80.2 vs. 44.5%, P < 0.001), accessing health information (86.3 vs. 75.5 vs. 40.8%, P < 0.001), and communicating with providers (54.2 vs. 29.8 vs. 13.0%, P < 0.001). Relationships remained significant in multivariable analyses controlling for relevant covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Results reveal that literacy-related disparities in technology access and use are widespread, with lower literate patients being less likely to own smartphones or to access and use the Internet, particularly for health reasons. Future interventions should consider these disparities and ensure that health promotion activities do not further exacerbate disparities.

Patient factors that affect quality of colonoscopy preparation.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Optimal colonoscopy preparation requires patients to adhere to written instructions and be activated to complete the task. Among patients with chronic disease, health literacy and patient activation have been associated with outcome, but these factors have not been studied for colonoscopy. We examined the association between health literacy, patient activation, and quality of bowel preparation. METHODS: We analyzed outpatient colonoscopy results from 462 adults, 55-74 years old (mean, 62 ± 6 years), who previously completed extensive neurocognitive assessments as part of a prospective study (Health Literacy and Cognitive Function in Older Adults). We collected information on cecal intubation, polyp detection, bowel preparation quality, and histopathology. RESULTS: One-third of the patients (n = 134) had suboptimal quality of bowel preparation; 15% (n = 62) had fair quality, and 17% (n = 72) had poor quality. Limited health literacy was associated with a lower level of education (P < .001), diabetes (P < .001), and a higher number of chronic conditions (P < .001), but not quality of colonoscopy preparation. No baseline characteristics were associated with patient activation. In multivariable analysis, after adjusting for demographics and clinical characteristics, diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 2.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.14-5.25) and patient activation (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.30-3.45) were independent predictors of suboptimal bowel preparation quality, but limited health literacy was not (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.38-1.52). CONCLUSIONS: We investigated the relationship between health literacy, patient activation, and colonoscopy preparation quality. Lower patient activation was an independent predictor of suboptimal bowel preparation quality. Interventions to improve colonoscopy preparation quality should consider the importance of patient activation within their design.

Implementation of a reimbursed medication review program: Corporate and pharmacy level strategies.

BACKGROUND: In 2006, the Ontario drug plan greatly reduced community pharmacy reimbursement for generic drugs. In exchange, a fee-for-service medication review program was introduced to help patients better understand their medication therapy and ensure that medications were taken as prescribed. A qualitative study of community pharmacy implementation strategies was undertaken to inform a mixed methods evaluation of the program. PURPOSE: To describe strategies used by community pharmacies to implement a government-funded medication review service. METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted with pharmacy corporate executives and managers, as well as independent pharmacy owners. All pharmacy corporations in the province were approached; owners were purposively sampled from the registry of the pharmacist licensing body to obtain diversity in pharmacy attributes; and pharmacy managers were identified through a mix of snowball and registry sampling. Thematic qualitative coding and analysis were applied to interview transcripts. RESULTS: 42 key informants, including 14 executives, 15 managers/franchisees, and 11 owners, participated. The most common implementation strategy was software adaptation to flag eligible patients and to document the service. Human resource management (task shifting to technicians and increasing the technician complement), staff training, and patient identification and recruitment processes were widely mentioned. Motivational strategies including service targets and financial incentives were less frequent but controversial. Strategies typically unfolded over time, and became multifaceted. Apart from the use of targets in chain pharmacies only, strategies were similar across pharmacy ownership types. DISCUSSION: Ontario community pharmacies appeared to have done little preplanning of implementation strategies. Strategies focused on service efficiency and quantity, rather than quality. Unlike other jurisdictions, many managers supported the use of targets as motivators, and very few reported feeling pressured. This detailed account of a range of implementation strategies may be of practical value to community pharmacy decision makers.

Comparative analysis of print and multimedia health materials: a review of the literature.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of multimedia and print as modes of dissemination for patient education materials; examine whether development of these materials addressed health literacy. METHODS: A structured literature review utilizing Medline, PsycInfo, and the Cumulative Index to the Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), supplemented by reference mining. RESULTS: Of 738 studies screened, 30 effectively compared multimedia and print materials. Studies offered 56 opportunities for assessing the effect of medium on various outcomes (e.g., knowledge). In 30 instances (54%), no difference was noted between multimedia and print in terms of patient outcomes. Multimedia led to better outcomes vs. print in 21 (38%) comparisons vs. 5 (9%) instances for print. Regarding material development, 12 studies (40%) assessed readability and 5 (17%) involved patients in tool development. CONCLUSIONS: Multimedia appears to be a promising medium for patient education; however, the majority of studies found that print and multimedia performed equally well in practice. Few studies involved patients in material development, and less than half assessed the readability of materials. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Future research should focus on comparing message-equivalent tools and assessing their effect on behavioral outcomes. Material development should include explicit attention to readability and patient input.