The objective of this paper is to systematically review the literature on drugdrug interactions with warfarin, with a focus on patient-important clinical outcomes.Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE and the International Pharmaceutical Abstract (IPA) databases were searched from January 2004 to August 2019. We included studies describing drug-drug interactions between warfarin and other drugs. Screening and data extraction were conducted independently and in duplicate. We synthesized pooled odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), comparing warfarin plus another medication to warfarin alone. We assessed the risk of bias at the study level and evaluated the overall certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results: Of 42 013 citations identified, a total of 72 studies reporting on 3 735 775 patients were considered eligible, including 11 randomized clinical trials and 61 observational studies. Increased risk of clinically relevant bleeding when added to warfarin therapy was observed for antiplatelet (AP) regimens (OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.56-1.94),

The benefits and harms of telehealth interventions compared to usual care for oral anticoagulation management are unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess their impact on clinically important outcomes. A search was conducted through MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases, and the retrieved citations were independently screened and extracted by two review authors. Cochrane Collaboration-recommended tools were used to assess for risk of bias. Co-primary outcomes were major bleeding and major thromboembolic events. Of 2145 retrieved citations, 7 were included for qualitative synthesis (1 randomized controlled trial, 1 prospective cohort and 5 retrospective cohorts). None addressed direct oral anticoagulants. Telehealth interventions were mainly consisted of telephone visits by clinicians, pharmacists and specialists. Meta-analysis of 3 studies (n = 6955) showed significant improvements in the telehealth group for major thromboembolic events (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.25-0.74, p = 0.002), but no significant difference for major bleeding events (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.52-1.33, p = 0.44). There was no significant difference in any of the secondary outcomes. The overall GRADE quality of evidence was rated very low due to high risk of bias and low precision. Based on very low quality evidence, telehealth interventions may lower the risk of major thromboembolic events, but not other clinically important outcomes. A high quality study is likely to strongly influence these results. High quality randomized trials are recommended to better assess the benefits and harms of telehealth interventions for anticoagulation management.

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Background Cost-related nonadherence to medications (CRNA) is common in many countries and thought to be associated with adverse outcomes. The characteristics of CRNA in Canada, with its patchwork coverage of increasingly expensive medications, are unclear. Objectives Our objective in this systematic review was to summarize the literature evaluating CRNA in Canada in three domains: prevalence, predictors, and effect on clinical outcomes. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library from 1992 to December 2019 using search terms covering medication adherence, costs, and Canada. Eligible studies, without restriction on design, had to have original data on at least one of the three domains specifically for Canadian participants. Articles were identified and reviewed in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using design-specific tools. Results Twenty-six studies of varying quality (n = 483,065 Canadians) were eligible for inclusion. Sixteen studies reported on the overall prevalence of CRNA, with population-based estimates ranging from 5.1 to 10.2%. Factors predicting CRNA included high out-of-pocket spending, low income or financial flexibility, lack of drug insurance, younger age, and poorer health. A single randomized trial of free essential medications with free delivery in Ontario improved adherence but did not find any change in clinical outcomes at 1 year. Conclusion CRNA affects many Canadians. The estimated percentage depends on the sampling frame, the main predictors tend to be financial, and its association with clinical outcomes in Canada remains unproven.

Background Cost-related nonadherence to medications (CRNA) is common in many countries and thought to be associated with adverse outcomes. The characteristics of CRNA in Canada, with its patchwork coverage of increasingly expensive medications, is unclear. Objectives Our objective in this systematic review was to summarize the literature evaluating CRNA in Canada in three domains: prevalence, predictors, and effect on clinical outcomes.Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library from 1992 to December 2019 using search terms covering medication adherence, costs, and Canada. Eligible studies, without restriction on design, had to have original data on at least one of the three domains specifically for Canadian participants. Articles were identified and reviewed in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using design-specific tools.Results: Twenty-six studies of varying quality (n=483,065 Canadians) were eligible for inclusion. Sixteen studies reported on the overall prevalence of CRNA, with population-based estimates ranging from 5.1% to 10.2%. Factors predicting CRNA included high out of pocket spending, low income or financial flexibility, lack of drug insurance, younger age, and poorer health. A single randomized trial of free essential medications with free delivery in Ontario improved adherence but did not find any change in clinical outcomes at one year. Conclusion: CRNA affects many Canadians. The estimated percentage depends on the sampling frame, the main predictors tend to be financial, and its association with clinical outcomes in Canada remains unproven.

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and written tests are commonly used to assess health professional students, but it remains unclear whether the additional human resources and expenses required for OSCEs, both in-person and online, are worthwhile for assessing competencies. This scoping review summarized literature identified by searching MEDLINE and EMBASE comparing 1) OSCEs and written tests and 2) in-person and online OSCEs, for assessing health professional trainees’ competencies. For Q1, 21 studies satisfied inclusion criteria. The most examined health profession was medical trainees (19, 90.5%), the comparison was most frequently OSCEs versus multiple-choice questions (MCQs) (18, 85.7%), and 18 (87.5%) examined the same competency domain. Most (77.5%) total score correlation coefficients between testing methods were weak ( r < 0.40). For Q2, 13 articles were included. In-person and online OSCEs were most used for medical trainees (9, 69.2%), checklists were the most prevalent evaluation scheme (7, 63.6%), and 14/17 overall score comparisons were not statistically significantly different. Generally low correlations exist between MCQ and OSCE scores, providing insufficient evidence as to whether OSCEs provide sufficient value to be worth their additional cost. Online OSCEs may be a viable alternative to in-person OSCEs for certain competencies where technical challenges can be met.

Background Cost-related nonadherence to medications (CRNA) is common in many countries and thought to be associated with adverse outcomes. The characteristics of CRNA in Canada, with its patchwork coverage of increasingly expensive medications, is unclear. Objectives Our objective in this systematic review was to summarize the literature evaluating CRNA in Canada in three domains: prevalence, predictors, and effect on clinical outcomes. Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library from 1992 to December 2019 using search terms covering medication adherence, costs, and Canada. Eligible studies, without restriction on design, had to have original data on at least one of the three domains specifically for Canadian participants. Articles were identified and reviewed in duplicate. Risk of bias was assessed using design-specific tools. Results: Twenty-six studies of varying quality (n=483,065 Canadians) were eligible for inclusion. Sixteen studies reported on the overall prevalence of CRNA, with population-based estimates ranging from 5.1% to 10.2%. Factors predicting CRNA included high out of pocket spending, low income or financial flexibility, lack of drug insurance, younger age, and poorer health. A single randomized trial of free essential medications with free delivery in Ontario improved adherence but did not find any change in clinical outcomes at one year. Conclusion: CRNA affects many Canadians. The estimated percentage depends on the sampling frame, the main predictors tend to be financial, and its association with clinical outcomes in Canada remains unproven.

O ral anticoagulants, including warfarin and the direct-acting anticoagulants, are highly effective for the prevention of stroke and systemic embolism in patients with atrial fibrillation, as well as for the treatment and prevention of venous thromboembolism. [1][2][3][4][5] Both conditions increase in prevalence with increasing age. 6,7 More than 7 million prescriptions in Canada and more than 37 million prescriptions in the United States are filled annually for oral anticoagulant treatment. 8,9 As thromboembolic events increase with increasing age, the absolute risk reduction in events obtained with oral anticoagulant treatment is greater for older adults than for younger people. [10][11][12] Despite their benefit, oral anticoagulants are considered high-risk medications because of the risk of substantial harm -mainly bleeding or thromboembolic events, and death -if treatment is not well managed. 13 Oral anticoagulant treatment has been reported to be the most common drug-related cause of emergency department visits and hospital admission among older adults, with accompanying high mortality rates. [14][15][16] The period immediately after hospital discharge can entail high risk for adverse events, as the transition to home is a complex process involving multiple providers, locations, testing and medication changes with imperfect reconciliation at a time when patients are still recovering. In a 2013 study, roughly one-fifth of Medicare patients discharged from hospital Adverse event rates associated with oral anticoagulant treatment early versus later after hospital discharge in older adults: a retrospective population-based cohort study