The role of single pill combination therapy in the prevention of ischaemic stroke

2019 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 126-132
Author(s):  
Wan Y Ho ◽  
Azmil H Abdul-Rahim ◽  
Jesse Dawson ◽  
Alan C Cameron

Background and aims The role of single pill combination therapy for stroke prevention remains to be established. We explored the perspectives of stroke survivors and healthcare professionals on single pill combination therapy for stroke prevention. Methods We conducted focus groups involving stroke survivors and healthcare professionals. Results We recruited six stroke survivors: four (67%) were female and mean age was 70 ± 12 years; and eight healthcare professionals (three Stroke Consultants, two Nurse Specialists, three General Practitioners). Improved adherence is the main perceived benefit of single pill combination therapy, although concerns exist surrounding less individualised care, unsuitability for use in the acute setting, reduced ability to titrate doses and difficulty identifying the cause of side effects. The clinical stability of patients, alongside single pill combination therapy efficacy, cost, side effect profile and evidence base for impact on risk factors and clinical outcomes are key factors influencing acceptability. Stroke survivors and healthcare professionals feel single pill combination therapy is most suitable for stable patients, although there is no evidence base for its use in this context. Conclusion Stroke healthcare professionals and stroke survivors are most amenable to using single pill combination therapy for stable patients, although its role in this context should be evaluated in studies with risk factor targets and clinical outcomes as endpoints.

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Borghi ◽  
J.G Wang ◽  
A.V Rodionov ◽  
M Rosas ◽  
I.S Sohn ◽  
...  

Abstract Background It is well established that single pill combination (SPC) therapies have the potential to improve patient adherence versus multi-pill regimens, thereby improving blood pressure control and clinical outcomes in populations with hypertension. Purpose To develop a microsimulation model, capturing different treatment pathways, to project the impact on clinical outcomes of using single pill combination therapies for the management of hypertension in five countries (Italy, Russia, China, South Korea and Mexico). Methods The model was designed to project health outcomes between 2020 and 2030 for populations with hypertension managed according to four different treatment pathways: current treatment practices [CTP], single drug with dosage titration first then sequential addition of other agents [start low and go slow, SLGS], free choice combination with multiple pills [FCC] and combination therapy in the form of a single pill [SPC]. Model inputs were derived from Global Burden of Disease 2017 dataset, including demographics, health status/risk factors, transition probabilities and treatment attributes/healthcare utilization, and the model incorporated real-world challenges to healthcare delivery such as access to care, SBP measurement error, adherence and therapeutic inertia. Simulated outcomes of mortality, incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD), stroke and ischemic heart disease (IHD), and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) due to these conditions were estimated for population of 1,000,000 simulated patients for each treatment pathway and country. Results SPC therapy was projected to improve health outcomes over SLGS, FCC and CTP over 10 years in all five countries. SPC was forecast to reduce mortality by 5.4% (Italy), 4.9% (Russia), 4.5% (China), 2.3% (South Korea) and 3.6% (Mexico) versus CTP and showed greater projected reductions in mortality than SLGS and FCC. DALYs were projected to be reduced with SPC therapy by between 5.7% (Italy) and 2.2% (South Korea) compared with CTP and reductions in the incidence of clinical events were also projected with SPC therapy, with decreases in the range of 11.5% (Italy) to 4.9% (South Korea) versus CTP. Conclusions Ten-year projections of clinical outcomes associated with different anti-hypertensive treatment pathways in five countries indicated that both combination therapies (FCC and SPC) are likely to reduce the disease burden of hypertension compared with conventional management approaches, with SPC showing the greatest overall benefits due to improved adherence. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Sanofi, Gentilly, France


2020 ◽  
pp. 030802262096374
Author(s):  
Julie Elizabeth Tremayne ◽  
Jennifer Freeman ◽  
Ali Coppola

Introduction Post-stroke fatigue significantly impacts stroke survivors’ rehabilitation, morbidity and quality of life. The evidence-base of post-stroke fatigue education is scarce and inconsistently translated to practice. Research is necessary to understand the current provision, impact and perceptions of post-stroke fatigue education from the stroke survivor’s perspective. The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of stroke survivors’ current experiences and perceptions of fatigue and the role of post-stroke fatigue education in subacute stroke. Methods A United Kingdom-based qualitative inquiry using semi-structured interviews involving 10 participants who had experienced subacute stroke was conducted using thematic data analysis. Findings The overarching theme of acceptance and adaptation reflected possible mechanisms in how stroke survivors manage post-stroke fatigue. Theme one highlighted the individual and diverse nature of post-stroke fatigue. Theme two, the variability of stroke survivors’ current experiences, reflected variability in content and context of post-stroke fatigue education. Theme three, the role of stroke services, described perceived responsibility and ability of stroke services to provide post-stroke fatigue education. Conclusions Post-stroke fatigue education is variable in practice. The results suggest further investigation of a stroke pathway approach for post-stroke fatigue education, involving core aspects suitable for a spectrum of stroke survivors with additional components tailored to individual needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1016-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Tsioufis ◽  
Reinhold Kreutz ◽  
Georgia Sykara ◽  
Joris van Vugt ◽  
Tarek Hassan

Author(s):  
Alan Baron ◽  
John Hassard ◽  
Fiona Cheetham ◽  
Sudi Sharifi

This chapter looks ‘outside’ the Hospice at issues of the organization’s image. The authors talked to staff, volunteers, and members of the general public, as well as to a number of key stakeholders in the local healthcare community, in order to gauge their views on the host organization. The analysis examines the problems associated with the image of hospices and discusses attempts of staff and volunteers to ‘dispel the myths’ about the nature of hospice care work—a form of labour which potentially runs the risk of being characterized as ‘dirty work’. The chapter then examines how the Hospice is seen in the eyes of other healthcare professionals and discusses the choice of palliative medicine as a career for junior medics. Finally it discusses a degree of ‘confusion’ that staff and volunteers claim exists in the minds of GPs and consultants in specialist cancer hospitals about the role of hospices.


Author(s):  
Serena Barello ◽  
Rosario Caruso ◽  
Lorenzo Palamenghi ◽  
Tiziana Nania ◽  
Federica Dellafiore ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose The purpose of the present cross-sectional study is to investigate the role of perceived COVID-19-related organizational demands and threats in predicting emotional exhaustion, and the role of organizational support in reducing the negative influence of perceived COVID-19 work-related stressors on burnout. Moreover, the present study aims to add to the understanding of the role of personal resources in the Job Demands-Resources model (JD-R) by examining whether personal resources—such as the professionals’ orientation towards patient engagement—may also strengthen the impact of job resources and mitigate the impact of job demands. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 532 healthcare professionals working during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. It adopted the Job-Demands-Resource Model to study the determinants of professional’s burnout. An integrative model describing how increasing job demands experienced by this specific population are related to burnout and in particular to emotional exhaustion symptoms was developed. Results The results of the logistic regression models provided strong support for the proposed model, as both Job Demands and Resources are significant predictors (OR = 2.359 and 0.563 respectively, with p < 0.001). Moreover, healthcare professionals’ orientation towards patient engagement appears as a significant moderator of this relationship, as it reduces Demands’ effect (OR = 1.188) and increases Resources’ effect (OR = 0.501). Conclusions These findings integrate previous findings on the JD-R Model and suggest the relevance of personal resources and of relational factors in affecting professionals’ experience of burnout.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shilpa Tyagi ◽  
Gerald Choon-Huat Koh ◽  
Nan Luo ◽  
Kelvin Bryan Tan ◽  
Helen Hoenig ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Outpatient medical follow-up post-stroke is not only crucial for secondary prevention but is also associated with a reduced risk of rehospitalization. However, being voluntary and non-urgent, it is potentially determined by both healthcare needs and the socio-demographic context of stroke survivor-caregiver dyads. Therefore, we aimed to examine the role of caregiver factors in outpatient medical follow-up (primary care (PC) and specialist outpatient care (SOC)) post-stroke. Method Stroke survivors and caregivers from the Singapore Stroke Study, a prospective, yearlong, observational study, contributed to the study sample. Participants were interviewed 3-monthly for data collection. Counts of PC and SOC visits were extracted from the National Claims Database. Poisson modelling was used to explore the association of caregiver (and patient) factors with PC/SOC visits over 0–3 months (early) and 4–12 months (late) post-stroke. Results For the current analysis, 256 stroke survivors and caregivers were included. While caregiver-reported memory problems of a stroke survivor (IRR: 0.954; 95% CI: 0.919, 0.990) and caregiver burden (IRR: 0.976; 95% CI: 0.959, 0.993) were significantly associated with lower early post-stroke PC visits, co-residing caregiver (IRR: 1.576; 95% CI: 1.040, 2.389) and negative care management strategies (IRR: 1.033; 95% CI: 1.005, 1.061) were significantly associated with higher late post-stroke SOC visits. Conclusion We demonstrated that the association of caregiver factors with outpatient medical follow-up varied by the type of service (i.e., PC versus SOC) and temporally. Our results support family-centred care provision by family physicians viewing caregivers not only as facilitators of care in the community but also as active members of the care team and as clients requiring care and regular assessments.


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