scholarly journals Using a Mobile Health Intervention (DOT Selfie) With Transfer of Social Bundle Incentives to Increase Treatment Adherence in Tuberculosis Patients in Uganda: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Nabbuye Sekandi ◽  
Nicole Amara Onuoha ◽  
Esther Buregyeya ◽  
Sarah Zalwango ◽  
Patrick Evans Kaggwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Directly Observed Therapy ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Mdr Tb ◽  
Adherence Monitoring

BACKGROUND The World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy envisions a world free of tuberculosis (TB)—free of deaths, disease, and suffering due to TB—by 2035. Nonadherence reduces cure rates, prolongs infectiousness, and contributes to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Moreover, MDR-TB is a growing, complex, and costly problem that presents a major obstacle to TB control. Directly observed therapy (DOT) for treatment adherence monitoring is the recommended standard; however, it is challenging to implement at scale because it is labor-intensive. Mobile health interventions can facilitate remote adherence monitoring and minimize the costs and inconveniences associated with standard DOT. OBJECTIVE The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of using video directly observed therapy (VDOT) plus incentives to improve medication adherence in TB treatment versus usual-care DOT in an African context. METHODS The DOT Selfie study is an open-label, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 2 parallel groups, in which 144 adult patients with TB aged 18-65 years will be randomly assigned to receive the usual-care DOT monitoring or VDOT as the intervention. The intervention will consist of a smartphone app, a weekly internet subscription, translated text message reminders, and incentives for those who adhere. The participant will use a smartphone to record and send time-stamped encrypted videos showing their daily medication ingestion. This video component will directly substitute the need for daily face-to-face meetings between the health provider and patients. We hypothesize that the VDOT intervention will be more effective because it allows patients to swallow their pills anywhere, anytime. Moreover, patients will receive mobile-phone–based “social bundle” incentives to motivate adherence to continued daily submission of videos to the health system. The health providers will log into a secured computer system to verify treatment adherence, document missed doses, investigate the reasons for missed doses, and follow prespecified protocol measures to re-establish medication adherence. The primary endpoint is the adherence level as measured by the fraction of expected doses observed over the treatment period. The main secondary outcome will be time-to-treatment completion in both groups. RESULTS This study was funded in 2019. Enrollment began in July and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Data collection and follow-up are expected to be completed by June 2021. Results from the analyses based on the primary endpoint are expected to be submitted for publication by December 2021. CONCLUSIONS This random control trial will be among the first to evaluate the effectiveness of VDOT within an African setting. The results will provide robust scientific evidence on the implementation and adoption of mobile health (mHealth) tools, coupled with incentives to motivate TB medication adherence. If successful, VDOT will apply to other low-income settings and a range of chronic diseases with lifelong treatment, such as HIV/AIDs. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04134689; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04134689 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/18029

scholarly journals Using a Mobile Health Intervention (DOT Selfie) With Transfer of Social Bundle Incentives to Increase Treatment Adherence in Tuberculosis Patients in Uganda: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

10.2196/18029 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e18029
Author(s):  
Juliet Nabbuye Sekandi ◽  
Nicole Amara Onuoha ◽  
Esther Buregyeya ◽  
Sarah Zalwango ◽  
Patrick Evans Kaggwa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Treatment Adherence ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Directly Observed Therapy ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Mdr Tb ◽  
Adherence Monitoring

Background The World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy envisions a world free of tuberculosis (TB)—free of deaths, disease, and suffering due to TB—by 2035. Nonadherence reduces cure rates, prolongs infectiousness, and contributes to the emergence of multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB). Moreover, MDR-TB is a growing, complex, and costly problem that presents a major obstacle to TB control. Directly observed therapy (DOT) for treatment adherence monitoring is the recommended standard; however, it is challenging to implement at scale because it is labor-intensive. Mobile health interventions can facilitate remote adherence monitoring and minimize the costs and inconveniences associated with standard DOT. Objective The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of using video directly observed therapy (VDOT) plus incentives to improve medication adherence in TB treatment versus usual-care DOT in an African context. Methods The DOT Selfie study is an open-label, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 2 parallel groups, in which 144 adult patients with TB aged 18-65 years will be randomly assigned to receive the usual-care DOT monitoring or VDOT as the intervention. The intervention will consist of a smartphone app, a weekly internet subscription, translated text message reminders, and incentives for those who adhere. The participant will use a smartphone to record and send time-stamped encrypted videos showing their daily medication ingestion. This video component will directly substitute the need for daily face-to-face meetings between the health provider and patients. We hypothesize that the VDOT intervention will be more effective because it allows patients to swallow their pills anywhere, anytime. Moreover, patients will receive mobile-phone–based “social bundle” incentives to motivate adherence to continued daily submission of videos to the health system. The health providers will log into a secured computer system to verify treatment adherence, document missed doses, investigate the reasons for missed doses, and follow prespecified protocol measures to re-establish medication adherence. The primary endpoint is the adherence level as measured by the fraction of expected doses observed over the treatment period. The main secondary outcome will be time-to-treatment completion in both groups. Results This study was funded in 2019. Enrollment began in July and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Data collection and follow-up are expected to be completed by June 2021. Results from the analyses based on the primary endpoint are expected to be submitted for publication by December 2021. Conclusions This random control trial will be among the first to evaluate the effectiveness of VDOT within an African setting. The results will provide robust scientific evidence on the implementation and adoption of mobile health (mHealth) tools, coupled with incentives to motivate TB medication adherence. If successful, VDOT will apply to other low-income settings and a range of chronic diseases with lifelong treatment, such as HIV/AIDs. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04134689; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04134689 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/18029

scholarly journals Text4Heart II; Improving medication adherence in people with heart disease: A randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph Maddison ◽  
Yannan Jiang ◽  
Ralph Stewart ◽  
Tony Scott ◽  
Andrew Kerr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Coronary Syndrome ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Mobile health technologies offer potential to improve reach and delivery of interventions to promote long-term secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). OBJECTIVE To determine the effectiveness of a text-messaging intervention (Text4HeartII) to improve adherence to medication and lifestyle change over and above usual care in people with CHD. METHODS A two-arm, parallel, randomized controlled trial conducted in New Zealand. Participants with a recent acute coronary syndrome were randomised to receive usual cardiac services alone (control n=153) or a 24-week text message programme to support self-management plus usual cardiac services (n=153). The primary outcome was adherence with medication at 24-weeks, defined as medication possession ratio (MPR) of 80% or more for aspirin, statin and anti-hypertensive therapy. Secondary outcomes included MPR at 52-weeks, self-reported medication adherence, and adherence with healthy lifestyle behaviours at 24- and 52-weeks. RESULTS National hospitalization and pharmacy dispensing records were available for all participants; 282 (92%) completed 24-weeks questionnaire and 291 (95%) completed 52-weeks questionnaire. Adherence with 3 medication classes was greater in the control compared to the intervention group, respectively both at 24-weeks (105(69%) versus 87(57%) OR 0.60, 95%CI 0.38 to 0.96, p=0.03), and 52 weeks (104(68%) vs 83(53%) OR 0.56, 95%CI 0.35 to 0.89, p=0.01). Self-reported medication adherence score showed the same trend at 52 weeks (mean difference 0.3, 95%CI 0.01 to 0.59, p=0.04). Self-reported adherence with health related behaviours were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS Text4HeartII did not improve dispensed medication, or adherence to a favorable lifestyle over and above usual care. This finding contrasts with previous studies, and highlights that the benefits of text interventions may depend on the context in which they are used. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ID: ACTRN12616000422426

Evaluation of a collaborative protocolized approach by community pharmacies and general medical practitioners for an Australian minor ailments scheme: study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dineen-Griffin ◽  
Victoria Garcia Cardenas ◽  
Kylie Williams ◽  
Shalom Isaac Benrimoj
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Self Care ◽  
Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Minor Ailments ◽  
Cluster Randomized

BACKGROUND Internationally, governments have been investing in supporting pharmacists to take on an expanded role to support self-care for health system efficiency. There is consistent evidence that minor ailment schemes (MAS) promote efficiencies within the healthcare system. The cost savings and health outcomes demonstrated in the UK and Canada opens up new opportunities for pharmacists to effect sustainable changes through MAS delivery in Australia. OBJECTIVE This trial is evaluating the clinical, economic and humanistic impact of an Australian minor ailments service (AMAS), compared with usual pharmacy care in a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Western Sydney, Australia. METHODS The cluster-randomized controlled trial design has an intervention and a control group, comparing individuals receiving a structured intervention with those receiving usual care for specific common ailments. Participants will be community pharmacies, general practices and patients located in Western Sydney Primary Health Network region. 30 community pharmacies will be randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. Each will recruit 24 patients seeking, aged 18 years or older, presenting to the pharmacy in person with a symptom-based or product-based request for one of the following ailments (reflux, cough, common cold, headache (tension or migraine), primary dysmenorrhoea and low back pain). Intervention pharmacists will deliver protocolized care to patients using clinical treatment pathways with agreed referral points and collaborative systems boosting clinician-pharmacist communication. Patients recruited in control pharmacies will receive usual care. The co-primary outcomes are rates of appropriate use of nonprescription medicines and rates of appropriate medical referral. Secondary outcomes include self-reported symptom resolution, time to resolution of symptoms, health services resource utilization and EQ VAS. Differences in the primary outcomes between groups will be analyzed at the individual patient level accounting for correlation within clusters with generalized estimating equations. The economic impact of the model will be evaluated by cost analysis compared with usual care. RESULTS The study began in July 2018. At the time of submission, 30 community pharmacies have been recruited. Pharmacists from the 15 intervention pharmacies have been trained. 27 general practices have consented. Pharmacy patient recruitment began in August 2018 and is ongoing and monthly targets are being met. Recruitment will be completed March 31st, 2019. CONCLUSIONS This study may demonstrate the utilization and efficacy of a protocolized intervention to manage minor ailments in the community, and will assess the clinical, economic and humanistic impact of this intervention in Australian pharmacy practice. Pharmacists supporting patient self-care and self-medication may contribute greater efficiency of healthcare resources and integration of self-care in the health system. The proposed model and developed educational content may form the basis of a MAS national service, with protocolized care for common ailments using a robust framework for management and referral. CLINICALTRIAL Registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) and allocated the ACTRN: ACTRN12618000286246. Registered on 23 February 2018.

Effectiveness of a web-based medication adherence tool with patient centered communication: Results of a clustered randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan van Lieshout ◽  
Joyca Lacroix ◽  
Aart van Halteren ◽  
Martina Teichert
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Medication Adherence ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Tailored Interventions ◽  
Increased Risk

BACKGROUND Growing numbers of people use medication for chronic conditions; non-adherence is common, leading to poor disease control. A newly developed web-based tool to identify an increased risk for non-adherence with related potential individual barriers might facilitate tailored interventions and improve adherence. OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of the newly developed tool to improve medication adherence. METHODS A cluster randomized controlled trial assessed the effectiveness of this adherence tool in patients initiating cardiovascular or oral blood glucose lowering medication. Participants were included in community pharmacies. They completed an online questionnaire comprising an assessments of their risk for medication non-adherence and subsequently of barriers to adherence. In pharmacies belonging to the intervention group, individual barriers displayed in a graphical profile on a tablet were discussed by pharmacists and patients at high non-adherence risk in face to face meetings and shared with their general practitioners and practice nurses. Tailored interventions were initiated by the healthcare providers. Barriers of control patients were not presented or discussed and these patients received usual care. The primary outcome was the difference in medication adherence at 8 months follow-up between patients with an increased non-adherence risk from intervention and control group, calculated from dispensing data. RESULTS Data from 492 participants in 15 community pharmacies were available for analyses (intervention 253, 7 pharmacies; control 239, 8 pharmacies). The intervention had no effect on medication adherence (-0.01; 95%CI -0.59 – 0.57; P= .96), neither in the post hoc per protocol analysis (0.19; 95%CI -0.50 – 0.89; P=.58). CONCLUSIONS This study showed no effectiveness of a risk stratification and tailored intervention addressing personal barriers for medication adherence. Various potential explanations for lack of effect were identified. These explanations relate for instance to high medication adherence in the control group, study power and fidelity. Process evaluation should elicit possible improvements and inform the redesign of intervention and implementation. CLINICALTRIAL The Netherlands National Trial Register: NTR5186. Date: May 18, 2015 (http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=5186)

Rationale, design, and challenges with implementing a clinical intervention to teach appropriate gestational weight gain (TAGG): Protocol of a Randomized controlled trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awathif Mackeen ◽  
Danielle Downs ◽  
Vonda Hetherington ◽  
Shawnee Lutcher ◽  
Jacob Mowery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Gestational Diabetes ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Gestational Weight Gain ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Excessive gestational weight gain (GWG) has public health implications including preterm birth, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and cesarean delivery. In an effort to mitigate adverse consequences of excessive GWG, this study tests a health intervention that includes enhancements to improve knowledge and awareness of appropriate GWG, and patient-centered nutritional counseling to promote appropriate GWG. OBJECTIVE The primary objective of the study was to increase the proportion of women who are managing their GWG as recommended by the IOM.4,5 METHODS This randomized controlled trial was conducted at Geisinger in Pennsylvania where excessive GWG is common among women with pre-conception obesity. Eligible, consenting participants with pre-pregnancy body mass index >30.0 kg/m2 were randomized (1:1) to: 1) Usual Care: usual written educational materials and counseling by an obstetric care provider or 2) Enhanced Care: Usual Care plus a) a personalized letter from a physician detailing appropriate GWG, b) exposure to individualized GWG chart in the electronic health record via the patient portal, and c) a consult with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and follow-up via tele-health counseling (10-20 mins/1-2 weeks) for the duration of the pregnancy. RESULTS The primary outcome was the proportion of women that gain less than 20 pounds over the course of the pregnancy. Secondary outcomes include knowledge, expectations, and attitude about pregnancy weight gain; increased self-efficacy for ability to eat healthy and being physically active to manage weight; and eating behavior. Potential moderators that will be explored include sleep, perceived stress, perceived involvement in care, and household food security. Data collection has been completed as of November 2019. CONCLUSIONS As GWG care was initiated for mothers with pre-pregnancy BMI >30 kg/m2 within the first and second trimesters, the intervention may have the additional benefit of reducing other adverse pregnancy outcomes including the incidence of gestational diabetes due to healthier rates of GWG. In addition to assessing appropriate GWG, this project will assess eating habits, physical activity, GWG attitudes, sleep quality, and psychological measures, all of which are associated with GWG. Exploratory mediators including perceived stress and food insecurity will also be evaluated. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02963428

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