Abstract 112: Depression Does Not Predict Longitudinal Medication Adherence in an Acute Coronary Syndrome Population

Author(s):  
Katherine M Fagan ◽  
Anne Lambert-Kerzner ◽  
Evan P Carey ◽  
Eric J Del Giacco ◽  
Renee Mihalko-Corbitt ◽  
...  

Background: Prior studies have shown that depression may be associated with longitudinal medication non-adherence for patients with chronic cardiovascular disease. However, little is known about depression and medication adherence following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization. Our objective was to assess whether depression was associated with longitudinal medication adherence following ACS among Veterans enrolled in a clinical trial designed to improve medication adherence. Methods: Patients included in the current analysis were enrolled in the MEDICATION study, which tested a multifaceted intervention versus usual care to improve medication adherence in the year following ACS hospitalization at 4 VA Medical Centers. Depression was assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) prior to hospital discharge based on a score of ≥10. Medication adherence was assessed for 4 classes of cardioprotective medications (Statins, ACEI/ARBs, Clopidogrel, and Beta Blockers) in the 12-months following hospital discharge using pharmacy refill data. A proportion of days covered (PDC) was calculated based on the 4 classes of medications, and adherent patients were categorized based on a PDC ≥0.80. Then, we assessed the association between depression and medication adherence in the year after ACS hospitalization. Results: Of the 241 patients, the average age was 63.9 years, mean BMI was 30.9 kg/m 2 , and they had a number of comorbidities: 45.2% had diabetes and 65.6% had a history of coronary artery disease. The mean PHQ-9 score was 8.2 and 35.4% had depression (PHQ≥10) prior to discharge, with no difference in the prevalence of depression between treatment groups. In the year after ACS hospitalization, the mean PDC was 0.90 for all patients and there was no difference between depressed (PDC=0.91) and non-depressed patients (PDC=0.90). Among patients in the usual care group, there was also no difference in adherence between depressed (PDC=0.88) and non-depressed (PDC=0.86) patients. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients enrolled in a clinical trial, depression was present in 1 out of 3 patients during ACS hospitalization but not associated with medication adherence in the year after hospital discharge. A potential explanation for the lack of association between depression and adherence may be related to the overall high adherence rates found in the MEDICATION study. It will be important to assess whether depression is a marker of medication non-adherence in other ACS cohorts.

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. e019463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clara K Chow ◽  
Aravinda Thiagalingam ◽  
Karla Santo ◽  
Cindy Kok ◽  
Jay Thakkar ◽  
...  

BackgroundIdentifying simple, low-cost and scalable means of supporting lifestyle change and medication adherence for patients following a cardiovascular (CV) event is important.ObjectiveThe TEXTMEDS (TEXT messages to improve MEDication adherence and Secondary prevention) study aims to investigate whether a cardiac education and support programme sent via mobile phone text message improves medication adherence and risk factor levels in patients following an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).Study designA single-blind, multicentre, randomised clinical trial of 1400 patients after an ACS with 12 months follow-up. The intervention group will receive multiple weekly text messages that provide information, motivation, support to adhere to medications, quit smoking (if relevant) and recommendations for healthy diet and exercise. The primary endpoint is the percentage of patients who are adherent to cardioprotective medications and the key secondary outcomes are mean systolic blood pressure (BP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Secondary outcomes will also include total cholesterol, mean diastolic BP, the percentage of participants who are adherent to each cardioprotective medication class, the percentage of participants who achieve target levels of CV risk factors, major vascular events, hospital readmissions and all-cause mortality. The study will be augmented by formal economic and process evaluations to assess acceptability, utility and cost-effectiveness.SummaryThe study will provide multicentre randomised trial evidence of the effects of a text message-based programme on cardioprotective medication adherence and levels of CV risk factors.Ethics and disseminationPrimary ethics approval was received from Western Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC2012/12/4.1 (3648) AU RED HREC/13/WMEAD/15). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international conferences.Trial registration numberACTRN12613000793718; Pre-results.


Heart ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla Santo ◽  
Anna Singleton ◽  
Kris Rogers ◽  
Aravinda Thiagalingam ◽  
John Chalmers ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThe aim of the MEDication reminder APPs to improve medication adherence in Coronary Heart Disease Study was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of using publicly available high-quality medication reminder applications (apps) to improve medication adherence compared with usual care in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). An additional aim was to examine whether an app with additional features improved adherence further.MethodsPatients with CHD (n=163) were randomised to one of three groups: (1) usual care, (2) a basic app or (3) an advanced app with interactive/customisable features. The primary analysis compared usual care versus app use on the primary outcome of the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included blood pressure and cholesterol levels.ResultsThe mean age was 57.9 years and 87.7% were male. At 3 months, patients using an app had higher adherence (mean MMAS-8 score 7.11) compared with the usual care group (mean MMAS-8 score 6.63) with a mean difference between groups of 0.47 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.82, p=0.008). There was no significant difference in patients using the basic app versus the advanced app (mean difference −0.16, 95% CI −0.56 to 0.24, p=0.428). There were no significant differences in secondary clinical outcome measures.ConclusionPatients with CHD who used medication reminder apps had better medication adherence compared with usual care, and using apps with additional features did not improve this outcome further. These data suggest medication apps are likely to help patients with chronic health conditions adhere to medicines, but further examination of whether such benefits are sustained is warranted.Clinical trial registration numberACTRN12616000661471; Results.


2021 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather L Neville ◽  
Kelsey Mann ◽  
Jessica Killen ◽  
Michael Callaghan

Background: Despite ample evidence of benefit, adherence to secondary prevention medication therapy after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is often suboptimal. Hospital pharmacists are uniquely positioned to improve adherence by providing medication education at discharge. Objective: To determine whether a standardized counselling intervention at hospital discharge significantly improved patients’ adherence to cardiovascular medications following ACS. Methods: This single-centre, prospective, nonrandomized comparative study enrolled patients with a primary diagnosis of ACS (January 2014 to July 2015). Patients who received standardized discharge counselling from a clinical pharmacist were compared with patients who did not receive counselling. At 30 days and 1 year after discharge, follow-up patient surveys were conducted and community pharmacy refill data were obtained. Adherence was assessed using pharmacy refill data and patient self-reporting for 5 targeted medications: acetylsalicylic acid, P2Y purinoceptor 12 (P2Y12) inhibitors, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, β-blockers, and statins. Thirty-day and 1-year medication utilization, cardiovascular readmission rates, and all-cause mortality were also assessed. Results: Of the 259 patients enrolled, 88 (34.0%) received discharge counselling. Medication data were obtained for 253 patients (97.7%) at 30 days and 242 patients (93.4%) at 1 year. At 1 year after discharge, there were no statistically significant differences between patients who did and did not receive counselling in terms of rates of nonadherence (11.9% versus 18.4%, p = 0.19), cardiovascular readmission (17.6% versus 22.3%, p = 0.42), and all-cause mortality (3.4% versus 4.2%, p > 0.99). Overall medication nonadherence was 2.8% (7/253) at 30 days and 16.1% (39/242) at 1 year. Conclusions: Discharge medication counselling provided by hospital pharmacists after ACS was not associated with significantly better medication adherence at 1 year. Higher-quality evidence is needed to determine the most effective and practical interventions to ensure that patients adhere to their medication regimens and achieve positive outcomes after ACS. RÉSUMÉ Contexte : Malgré l’abondance de preuves démontrant ses avantages, l’adhésion à la pharmacothérapie de prévention secondaire après les syndromes coronariens aigus (SCA) est souvent « sous-optimale ». Les pharmaciens d’hôpitaux occupent une place unique pour améliorer l’adhésion en expliquant au patient l’usage des médicaments au moment du congé hospitalier. Objectif : Déterminer si une consultation standardisée au moment du congé hospitalier améliore significativement ou non l’adhésion à la pharmacothérapie cardiovasculaire après les SCA. Méthodes : Des patients ayant reçu un diagnostic primaire de SCA (de janvier 2014 à juillet 2015) ont été inscrits pour participer à cette étude comparative unicentrique prospective et non randomisée. Ceux ayant bénéficié d’une consultation standardisée par un pharmacien clinicien au moment du congé ont été comparés aux patients qui n’en n’avaient pas reçu. Trente jours et un an après le congé, des enquêtes de suivi du patient ont été menées et les données de renouvellement d’ordonnance des pharmacies communautaires ont été recueillies. L’adhésion a été évaluée à l’aide des données de renouvellement d’ordonnance et celles rapportées par le patient pour cinq médicaments ciblés : l’acide acétylsalicylique, les inhibiteurs P2Y purinoceptor 12 (P2Y12), les inhibiteurs de l’enzyme de conversion de l’angiotensine ou les antagonistes des récepteurs de l’angiotensine II, les antagonistes β et les statines. L’utilisation des médicaments à 30 jours et à un an, le taux de réadmission en raison d’un trouble cardiovasculaire et le taux de mortalité toutes causes confondues ont également fait l’objet d’une évaluation. Résultats : Sur les 259 patients inscrits, 88 (34 %) ont bénéficié d’une consultation au moment du congé. Des données concernant la médication de 253 patients ont été obtenues (97,7 %) à 30 jours et pour 242 patients (93,4 %) à un an. Un an après le congé, aucune différence statistique significative n’a été observée entre les patients ayant reçu ou non une consultation concernant la non-adhésion (11,9 % contre 18,4 %, p = 0,19), la réadmission en raison d’un trouble cardiovasculaire (17,6 % contre 22,3 %, p = 0,42), et le taux de mortalité toutes causes confondues (3,4 % contre 4,2 %, p > 0,99). La non-adhésion aux médicaments de manière générale se montait à 2,8 % (7/253) à 30 jours et à 16,1 % (39/242) à un an. Conclusions : La consultation concernant la médication donnée par les pharmaciens d’hôpitaux au moment du congé après les SCA n’était pas associée à un meilleur suivi de la médication un an plus tard. Des données probantes de meilleure qualité sont nécessaires pour déterminer les interventions les plus efficaces et pratiques pour que les patients adhèrent à leur régime médicamenteux et qu’ils obtiennent des résultats positifs après les SCA.


2021 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed Ayuna ◽  
Ayyaz Sultan

Abstract Background Early diagnosis and treatment of ACS can reduce the risk of complications and death. Delay calling for help can increase morbidity and mortality. It is unclear which age group among patients with acute coronary syndrome tend to delay their call for help. Results Our observational retrospective study showed that men and women in their 50s and 40s respectively tend to delay their call for help from symptoms onset. For the former, the mean time delays (590 ± 71.1 min), whereas for the latter it was (1084 ± 120.1 min). Moreover, these groups tend to have a longer time delay between symptoms onset and arrival at the hospital. Among deaths, we observed that the death rate was proportional to the time delay, which is not unexpected. Next step, we plan to perform a qualitative study in the form of questionnaires to target the individuals with a high risk of CVD within these age groups. Conclusion Middle age group of both genders tend to delay their call for help when they experience symptoms of ACS; moreover, regardless of the age, the longer the delay, the higher the mortality rate. The results of this study gave us a better understanding of our local population and will pave the road for a well-structured teaching programme for them to minimise the time delay for calling for help.


2021 ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
Saroj Mandal ◽  
Sidnath Singh ◽  
Kaushik Banerjee ◽  
Aditya Verma ◽  
Vignesh R.

Background: The treatment of LMCAD has shifted from coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, data on long-term outcomes of PCI for LMCA disease, especially in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains limited and conicting. This study aims to nd the association of the immediate and 4-year mortality in ACS patients with LMCA disease treated by PCI based on ejection fractions at admission. Methods: A retrospective analytical study was conducted. Patients were divided at admission into those with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and those with preserved ejection fraction. Results: Forty (58.8%) of the patients presented with preserved EF. The mean age of the patients was 71.6±7.1 years. The mean LVEF of the preserved group was 61.6±4.3% and signicantly higher than that of the reduced group. Age and cardiovascular risk factor prole was similar between the two groups. Patients with reduced ejection fraction had signicantly higher levels of serum creatinine and signicantly lower levels of Hb and HDL. Mean hospital stay was signicantly longer for patients with preserved EF. In-hospital deaths were also similar between the two groups. The reduced EF group had a signicantly higher allcause mortality in the 4-year follow-up period. The mean years of follow-up for all participants was 4.2±1.3 years. Conclusion: It was seen that in patients presenting with ACS and undergoing PCI due to LMCAD, LVEF at admission, singly and in in multivariate regression is an important predictor of in hospital and 4-year mortality


Author(s):  
Kelty B Fehling ◽  
Anne Lambert-Kerzner ◽  
Ryan Davis ◽  
Jennifer Weaver ◽  
Casey Barnett ◽  
...  

Background: Despite the success of pharmacist-led interventions to improve medication adherence, pharmacists’ perspectives of these interventions are unknown. Our objective was to understand the pharmacists’ perspectives of a successful multifaceted intervention to improve medication adherence after acute coronary syndrome (ACS) hospitalization. Methods: We ascertained pharmacist perspectives’ through qualitative inquiry that included an open-ended survey, semi-structured interviews, and a focus group with the four pharmacists who participated in the intervention. Transcripts of surveys and interviews were analyzed using a content analysis approach. The intervention components included: 1) patient education; 2) assessment tools for potential medication adherence barriers; 3) collaborative care; and 4) automated medication refill reminders and educational messages. Pharmacists’ perspectives on each of these components were evaluated. Results: The pharmacists felt the intervention could be sustained in routine clinical care and identified key themes that facilitated intervention success. Pharmacists believed educating patients about their cardiovascular medications filled a gap in usual care. In addition, assessment tools that identified medication discrepancies and gaps in knowledge were helpful in tailoring patient education, while face-to-face conversations were more helpful in identifying mental and cognitive deficits that were barriers to adherence. Pharmacists also noted that the intervention led to the development of bi-directional relationships with patients through increased in-person and tele-health communication. As a result, poor adherence related to medication side effects was more readily addressed. Potential areas for improvement identified by the pharmacists included 1) emphasizing in-person visits to build relationships (begin the educational process while the patient is hospitalized and schedule both the follow-up clinic appointment and pharmacy visit at the same time); 2) utilizing the patient centered medical home concept to improve access to providers; 3) allowing sites to determine provider type to support the personal contact (i.e. pharmacist, nurse practitioner, registered nurse); and 4) employing interactive voice response (IVR) technology to facilitate communication. Conclusions: Pharmacists’ perspectives of a medication adherence intervention gave insights into reasons for the intervention success and suggestions for improvements and dissemination. We found that in-person meetings between pharmacists and patients led to bi-directional conversations and relationships with providers, which positively influenced patient adherence behavior. Future interventions designed to improve medication adherence should incorporate these pharmacist-identified factors.


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