Background: Asthma is an important public health issue in the United States. eHealth technology offers a potential solution to asthma treatment adherence, but the relative effect of various types of eHealth interventions has not been systematically studied. Objectives: To systematically review the effectiveness of eHealth in improving adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) among patients with persistent asthma, as well as the satisfaction of patients undergoing eHealth interventions. Methods: Literature searches were conducted in five databases in August 2018. Included studies were randomized controlled trials comparing eHealth interventions versus usual care in improving adherence among patients prescribed ICS for persistent asthma. Quantitative synthesis was performed using a random effects model. Results: Eighty records were identified after removal of duplicates. Fifteen trials were eligible for qualitative synthesis. Included trials utilized: social media (n = 1), electronic health records (n = 1), telehealth (n = 6), and mHealth (n = 7). Twelve trials were eligible for quantitative synthesis. Results show a small but significant overall effect of eHealth interventions on adherence to ICS (Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) = 0.41, 95%CI = 0.02-0.79). Among the different types of eHealth interventions, a significant improvement in adherence was observed for mHealth interventions compared to usual care in a pooled analysis of 4 trials (SMD = 0.96, 95%CI = 0.28-1.64). However, there was considerable heterogeneity among studies. Patient satisfaction was evaluated in 5 trials comparing telehealth (n = 2) and mHealth (n = 3) with usual care. Participants found the interventions to be helpful and satisfactory. Conclusion: eHealth interventions, especially mHealth interventions, are effective and acceptable in improving patient adherence to ICS.

Use of non-traditional settings such as community pharmacies has been suggested to increase human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake and completion rates. The objectives of this study were to explore HPV vaccination services and strategies employed by pharmacies to increase HPV vaccine uptake, pharmacists’ attitudes towards the HPV vaccine, and pharmacists’ perceived barriers to providing HPV vaccination services in community pharmacies. A pre-piloted mail survey was sent to 350 randomly selected community pharmacies in Alabama in 2014. Measures included types of vaccines administered and marketing/recommendation strategies, pharmacists’ attitudes towards the HPV vaccine, and perceived system and parental barriers. Data analysis largely took the form of descriptive statistics. 154 pharmacists completed the survey (response rate = 44%). The majority believed vaccination is the best protection against cervical cancer (85.3%), HPV is a serious threat to health for girls (78.8%) and boys (55.6%), and children should not wait until they are sexually active to be vaccinated (80.1%). Perceived system barriers included insufficient patient demand (56.5%), insurance plans not covering vaccination cost (54.8%), and vaccine expiration before use (54.1%). Respondents also perceived parents to have inadequate education and understanding about HPV infection (86.6%) and vaccine safety (78.7%). Pharmacists have positive perceptions regarding the HPV vaccine. Barriers related to system factors and perceived parental concerns must be overcome to increase pharmacist involvement in HPV vaccinations.

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PurposeTo determine parents’ knowledge and attitudes regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations in their adolescent children and to describe parents’ perceptions of adolescent vaccinations in community pharmacies.MethodsIn-depth interviews were completed with parents or guardians of children ages 11–17 years from Alabama's Lee and Macon counties. One-hour long, open-ended telephonic or in-person interviews were conducted until the saturation point was reached. Using ATLAS.ti software and thematic analysis, interview transcripts were coded to identify themes.ResultsTwenty-six parents were interviewed, most of whom were female (80.8%) and white (50%). A total of 12 themes were identified. First, two themes emerged regarding elements facilitating children's HPV vaccination, the most common being positive perception of the HPV vaccine. Second, elements hindering children's vaccination contained seven themes, the top one being lack of correct or complete information about the HPV vaccine. The last topic involved acceptance/rejection of community pharmacies as vaccination settings, and the most frequently cited theme was concern about pharmacists’ clinical training.ConclusionsPhysician-to-parent vaccine education is important, and assurances of adequate pharmacy immunization training will ease parents’ fears and allow pharmacists to better serve adolescents, especially those who do not see physicians regularly.

Objective: To explore the existing practice models and practice opportunities surrounding pharmacist-delivered Medicare Annual Wellness Visits (AWVs), with the goal of improving patient access through advanced pharmacy-based health services. Data Sources: English-language articles published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2011 to March 2018 were reviewed by searching PubMed and Google Scholar databases using permutations of terms such as “pharmacist/pharmacy,” “Medicare,” “Annual Wellness Visit,” “develop/development,” and “implement/implementation.” Study Selection and Data Extraction: Original articles reporting resources (inputs), processes, and programmatic outcomes (uptake and delivery, interventions made, financial models, satisfaction) of pharmacist-delivered AWV services were retained. Data Synthesis: Eight articles describing 6 unique studies representing current pharmacist-delivered AWV practices were included in the final review. All identified articles used observational study designs and were published in peer-reviewed journals from 2014 to 2017. Five studies utilized staff (in-house) pharmacists working in internal or family medicine clinics via collaborative practice agreements; one study described a model for outsourcing AWV services through a community pharmacy. Pharmacists completed 37 to 300 AWVs and performed both medication- and non-medication-related interventions, with a mean of 3.5 to 5.4 interventions/patient. Quarterly revenue ranged from $3750 to $22 340 (USD), with 40 pharmacist-hours required for initial program development. Implications for Patient Care and Clinical Practice: This scoping review will serve as a guide for pharmacists wishing to implement AWV services in their own practices. Conclusions: There is opportunity for ambulatory/community pharmacists to expand their practices to include AWV services in states that allow collaborative practice agreements. Interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacists can optimize and aid adoption of pharmacist-delivered AWV services.