ObjectiveWe aimed to compare patient’s and physician’s ratings of inhaled medication adherence and to identify predictors of patient-physician discordance.DesignBaseline data from two prospective multicentre observational studies.Setting29 allergy, pulmonology and paediatric secondary care outpatient clinics in Portugal.Participants395 patients (≥13 years old) with persistent asthma.MeasuresData on demographics, patient-physician relationship, upper airway control, asthma control, asthma treatment, forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) and healthcare use were collected. Patients and physicians independently assessed adherence to inhaled controller medication during the previous week using a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Discordance was defined as classification in distinct VAS categories (low 0–50; medium 51–80; high 81–100) or as an absolute difference in VAS scores ≥10 mm. Correlation between patients’ and physicians’ VAS scores/categories was explored. A multinomial logistic regression identified the predictors of physician overestimation and underestimation.ResultsHigh inhaler adherence was reported both by patients (median (percentile 25 to percentile 75) 85 (65–95) mm; 53% VAS>80) and by physicians (84 (68–95) mm; 53% VAS>80). Correlation between patient and physician VAS scores was moderate (rs=0.580; p<0.001). Discordance occurred in 56% of cases: in 28% physicians overestimated adherence and in 27% underestimated. Low adherence as assessed by the physician (OR=27.35 (9.85 to 75.95)), FEV1 ≥80% (OR=2.59 (1.08 to 6.20)) and a first appointment (OR=5.63 (1.24 to 25.56)) were predictors of underestimation. An uncontrolled asthma (OR=2.33 (1.25 to 4.34)), uncontrolled upper airway disease (OR=2.86 (1.35 to 6.04)) and prescription of short-acting beta-agonists alone (OR=3.05 (1.15 to 8.08)) were associated with overestimation. Medium adherence as assessed by the physician was significantly associated with higher risk of discordance, both for overestimation and underestimation of adherence (OR=14.50 (6.04 to 34.81); OR=2.21 (1.07 to 4.58)), while having a written action plan decreased the likelihood of discordance (OR=0.25 (0.12 to 0.52); OR=0.41 (0.22 to 0.78)) (R2=44%).ConclusionAlthough both patients and physicians report high inhaler adherence, discordance occurred in half of cases. Implementation of objective adherence measures and effective communication are needed to improve patient-physician agreement.
Background Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). Methods A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients’ asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. Results A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring ≥4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). Conclusions The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.
RESUMO:O tabagismo é atualmente a principal causa de enfermidades evitáveis e incapacidades prematuras em âmbito mundial, sendo que a Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) estima cerca de 10 milhões de mortes anuais nos próximos 30 a 40 anos em virtude de complicações de saúde decorrentes do tabaco. Apesar de possuir uma função preventiva em programas antitabagistas, estudos recentes revelam que a classe médica possui porcentagem signifi cativa de profi ssionais fumantes, abalando a credibilidade da mensagem de que fumar é lesivo à saúde. Devido a diversos fatores, dentre eles as difi culdades acadêmicas impostas pelo treinamento médico, parcela signifi cativa de médicos começa a fumar durante a faculdade. O trabalho atual tem como meta analisar a prevalência de tabagismo entre 241 acadêmicos de medicina, através de questionário validado. Verifi cou-se uma incidência média de 17,8% de fumantes cuja idade média foi de 21,6 anos e tempo médio de consumo de tabaco de 5,9 anos. Os autores do trabalho concluem a importância de se conhecer os dados de tabagismo dentre os estudantes de medicina consiste em reforçar a necessidade de campanhas de cessação do fumo em todas as classes da sociedade, inclusive e, principalmente, dentre os futuros profi ssionais médicos que serão os principais agentes na prevenção do tabagismo.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a complex and heterogeneous disease, and there is a clinical need for validated markers and biomarkers that can contribute to the assessment of patients, risk prediction, treatment guidance, and assessment of response. Although according to the 2018 GOLD guidelines clinically useful biomarkers for COPD patients in stable condition have yet to be identified, several clinical markers and biomarkers have been proposed for COPD. These include isolated clinical markers, such as symptoms and Health Status assessment, exercise tests, function tests and imaging, and also composite scores and molecular markers. However, and despite strong efforts to identify useful markers in an attempt to improve prognostic and therapeutic approaches, results have not been consistent and expectations of relying on these markers in near future are faint. Current approaches to COPD have shifted from treating the disease to treating the individual patient. There is a clear need to identify treatable traits, focusing more on the patient and not on the disease, in order to implement an increasingly personalized treatment of COPD in the clinic, leading to true precision medicine. There is a need to identify combinations of clinical markers and biomarkers, genetic markers, and phenotypes that can guide the personalized therapy of COPD patients. This critical review will therefore focus not only on currently established markers and biomarkers in COPD but also on possible future approaches toward precision medicine.
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