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Clinical and Translational Science Jun 2024Pharmacogenetic (PGx)-informed medication prescription is a cutting-edge genomic application in contemporary medicine, offering the potential to overcome the... (Review)
Review
Pharmacogenetic (PGx)-informed medication prescription is a cutting-edge genomic application in contemporary medicine, offering the potential to overcome the conventional "trial-and-error" approach in drug prescription. The ability to use an individual's genetic profile to predict drug responses allows for personalized drug and dosage selection, thereby enhancing the safety and efficacy of treatments. However, despite significant scientific and clinical advancements in PGx, its integration into routine healthcare practices remains limited. To address this gap, the Qatar Genome Program (QGP) has embarked on an ambitious initiative known as QPGx-CARES (Qatar Pharmacogenetics Clinical Applications and Research Enhancement Strategies), which aims to set a roadmap for optimizing PGx research and clinical implementation on a national scale. The goal of QPGx-CARES initiative is to integrate PGx testing into clinical settings with the aim of improving patient health outcomes. In 2022, QGP initiated several implementation projects in various clinical settings. These projects aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of PGx testing, gather valuable insights into the effective dissemination of PGx data to healthcare professionals and patients, and identify the gaps and the challenges for wider adoption. QPGx-CARES strategy aimed to integrate evidence-based PGx findings into clinical practice, focusing on implementing PGx testing for cardiovascular medications, supported by robust scientific evidence. The current initiative sets a precedent for the nationwide implementation of precision medicine across diverse clinical domains.
Topics: Humans; Qatar; Pharmacogenetics; Precision Medicine; Pharmacogenomic Testing
PubMed: 38818903
DOI: 10.1111/cts.13800 -
Annali Di Igiene : Medicina Preventiva... May 2024The changes in health, social and demographic needs impose new approaches to cures and care without giving up patients' safety. Although several studies analysed the...
BACKGROUND
The changes in health, social and demographic needs impose new approaches to cures and care without giving up patients' safety. Although several studies analysed the patient safety approach and strategies, the literature considering the home care setting seems still scarce. The analysis of the phenomenon of medication errors in the primary care setting highlights the necessity of exploring the specific variables to understand how to prevent or reduce the occurrence of a medication error in the home context. This review investigates the main preventive strategies implemented at the patients' home to prevent and/or limit the possibility of a medication error.
DESIGN
The scoping review was conducted under the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses ex-tension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) statement and based on the guidelines of the Joanna Briggs Institute.
METHODS
No time or language limit was set to obtain the most comprehensive results possible. The following databases were queried: PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, ERIC and PsycINFO via EBSCO. All literature published up to 31 December 2022 was considered for data collection.
RESULTS
The main preventive strategies implemented in the patient's home to prevent a medication error are: Multidisciplinary teams, therapeutic reconciliation and computerised systems that improve information sharing. As evidenced by all of the included studies, no educational intervention or preventive strategy individually reduces the risk of making a medication error.
CONCLUSIONS
It would be desirable for healthcare professionals to be constantly updated about their knowledge and understand the importance of introducing the aforementioned preventive strategies to guarantee safe care that protects the person from me-dication errors even at the patient's home.
PubMed: 38818734
DOI: 10.7416/ai.2024.2641 -
Health Expectations : An International... Jun 2024Medication safety incidents have been identified as an important target to improve patient safety in mental healthcare. Despite this, the causes of preventable...
INTRODUCTION
Medication safety incidents have been identified as an important target to improve patient safety in mental healthcare. Despite this, the causes of preventable medication safety incidents affecting patients with mental illness have historically been poorly understood, with research now addressing this knowledge gap through a healthcare professional lens. However, patients and carers can also provide complimentary insight into safety issues, and as key stakeholders in healthcare, it is vital to consider their needs when designing effective interventions.
METHODS
A two-stage approach was adopted by (i) conducting three focus groups (FG) comprising 13 patients with mental illness and their carers to develop a holistic picture of medication safety in primary care with extraction of themes guided by the P-MEDS framework; (ii) conducting two separate nominal group consensus workshops with seven patients with mental illness/carers and seven healthcare professionals to identify priority areas for targeted interventions.
RESULTS
Seven themes were identified in the FGs: communication; trust, involvement and respect; continuity and support; access; the healthcare professional; the patient and carer; and the organisation. Priority areas identified for intervention by key stakeholders included improving communication within and between clinical services, enhancing patient support with holistic continuity of care, maximising shared decision-making and empowerment, ensuring timely access to medicines and services, strengthening healthcare professional knowledge regarding mental illnesses and associated medications, and increasing patient dignity and respect.
CONCLUSION
This study has developed a holistic picture of contributors to medication safety incidents affecting patients with mental illness in primary care. This theory was then used by key stakeholders to inform and generate priority recommendations for targeted interventions. These findings can be used to inform future intervention research, as they consider the needs of those who access or work within primary care services.
PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
An advisory group consisting of three expert patients with lived experience of mental illness was consulted on the design of both stages of this study. Patients with mental illness and/or their carers were recruited and participated in both stages of this study. Patients/carers aided with data analysis and interpretation during the patient/carer nominal group consensus workshop.
Topics: Humans; Primary Health Care; Mental Disorders; Focus Groups; Patient Safety; Female; Male; Adult; Medication Errors; Middle Aged; Caregivers; Communication; Health Personnel
PubMed: 38817038
DOI: 10.1111/hex.14095 -
Acta Pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia) Jun 2024This umbrella review examined systematic reviews of deprescribing studies by characteristics of intervention, population, medicine, and setting. Clinical and humanistic... (Review)
Review
This umbrella review examined systematic reviews of deprescribing studies by characteristics of intervention, population, medicine, and setting. Clinical and humanistic outcomes, barriers and facilitators, and tools for deprescribing are presented. The Medline database was used. The search was limited to systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in English up to April 2022. Reviews reporting deprescribing were included, while those where depre-scribing was not planned and supervised by a healthcare professional were excluded. A total of 94 systematic reviews (23 meta--analyses) were included. Most explored clinical or humanistic outcomes (70/94, 74 %); less explored attitudes, facilitators, or barriers to deprescribing (17/94, 18 %); few focused on tools (8/94, 8.5 %). Reviews assessing clinical or humanistic outcomes were divided into two groups: reviews with (39/70, 56 %; 16 reviewing specific deprescribing interventions and 23 broad medication optimisation interventions), and reviews with (31/70, 44 %). Deprescribing was feasible and resulted in a reduction of inappropriate medications in reviews with . Complex broad medication optimisation interventions were shown to reduce hospitalisation, falls, and mortality rates. In reviews of a higher frequency of adverse drug withdrawal events underscores the importance of prioritizing patient safety and exercising caution when stopping medicines, particularly in patients with clear and appropriate indications.
Topics: Deprescriptions; Humans; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Inappropriate Prescribing; Polypharmacy
PubMed: 38815201
DOI: 10.2478/acph-2024-0011 -
Rhode Island Medical Journal (2013) Jun 2024Remote self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) programs improve racial health equity among postpartum people with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) who receive... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
OBJECTIVE
Remote self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) programs improve racial health equity among postpartum people with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) who receive recommended blood pressure ascertainment after hospital discharge.1-3 However, as prior studies have been conducted within racially diverse but ethnically homogeneous populations,1-3 the effect of SMBP programs on ethnicity-based inequities is less understood.4 We examined whether SMBP rates differed among Hispanic versus non-Hispanic participants in remote SMBP programs.
STUDY DESIGN
This is a planned secondary analysis of a RCT conducted among postpartum patients with HDP who were enrolled into our remote SMBP program, in which they obtain SMBP and then manually enter the SMBP value into a patient portal for individual provider response. In the parent trial, consenting patients were randomized to continued manual blood pressure entry of SMBP or use of a Bluetooth-enabled blood pressure cuff synched to a smartphone application utilizing artificial intelligence to respond to each obtained blood pressure or symptom for six weeks and to flag abnormalities for providers. Both SMBP programs were available in Spanish and English. For this study, women who self-reported their ethnicity were stratified into two ethnic groups - Hispanic and non-Hispanic - regardless of randomization group. Those who did not self-report ethnicity but completed all study procedures in Spanish were also categorized as Hispanic. Outcomes were the same in the parent study and this secondary analysis. The primary outcome was ≥1 SMBP assessment within 10 days postpartum. Secondary outcomes included number of blood pressure assessments and healthcare utilization outcomes (remote antihypertensive medication initiation or dose-increase and presentation to the Emergency Department or readmission for hypertension within 30 days of discharge). Participants rated their experience with SMBP via a scale from 0 (worst possible) to 10 (best possible) and the Decision Regret Scale, which assessed their regret in SMBP program participation (0=no regret; 100=high regret)).5 Outcomes were compared between groups. Risk differences (RD) were calculated for categorical and regression coefficients for continuous outcomes. The parent RCT was IRB-approved and published on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05595629) before enrollment.
RESULTS
Among 119 women in the parent study, 83 (70%) self-reported ethnicity and the proportion of Hispanic people was similar in both treatment groups. This study compared 23 Hispanic (19% monolingual in Spanish) to 62 non-Hispanic women. Rates of SMBP assessment within 10 days postpartum was similar (Hispanic 64% vs non-Hispanic 79%; RD -0.1 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) -0.4, 0.1). There were no differences in mean number of remote SMBP assessments or rates of remote antihypertensive medication initiation or dose titration. The rates of hypertension-related presentations to the Emergency Department or hospital readmission were also similar between groups. Lastly, regardless of ethnicity, participants had low scores on the Decision Regret Scale and rated their experience with their remote SMBP program highly favorably. (See Table 1.) Conclusion: Hispanic and non-Hispanic postpartum patients with HDP had similar outcomes and favorable patient perceptions. The small sample size in this study may have produced inadequate power to detect a difference between study groups, thereby leading to Type II error. Thus, more research on Hispanic participants in remote SMBP programs is needed. However, the effect of remote SMBP programs on perinatal equity may not be limited to race-based disparities.
Topics: Humans; Female; Hispanic or Latino; Pregnancy; Adult; Pilot Projects; Postpartum Period; Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced; Blood Pressure Determination; Blood Pressure; Telemedicine
PubMed: 38810010
DOI: No ID Found -
BMJ Open May 2024Polypharmacy is common among individuals with multimorbidity, often leading to inappropriate medication use and is associated with an increased risk of frailty,...
INTRODUCTION
Polypharmacy is common among individuals with multimorbidity, often leading to inappropriate medication use and is associated with an increased risk of frailty, hospitalisation and mortality. Structured medication reviews (SMRs) have emerged as a promising method for optimising medication use. However, research examining their efficacy is limited. This review aims to evaluate the impact of SMRs on improving outcomes for adults with multimorbidity and polypharmacy in primary care settings. Additionally, this review seeks to identify prevailing patterns and trends in the mode of delivery of SMRs.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS
A systematic review will be conducted using Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Web of Science and CINAHL (1997-present). Primary outcomes will include medication-related measures such as dose, frequency and dosage form. Secondary outcomes under investigation will include physical, mental, functional and health service outcomes, as reported. Two independent reviewers will conduct the screening and data extraction, resolving disagreements through discussion. Once eligible studies are identified, the extracted data will be summarised in tabular format. The risk of bias in the articles will be assessed using either the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool or the Newcastle-Ottawa scale, depending on the design of the studies retrieved. Subgroup analysis will be performed using demographic variables and modes of delivery where the data supports. If appropriate, a meta-analysis of the data extracted will be conducted to determine the impact of the SMRs on reported outcomes. If a meta-analysis is not possible due to heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis approach will be adopted.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION
This proposed review is exempt from ethical approval as it aims to collate and summarise peer-reviewed, published evidence. This protocol and the subsequent review will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals, conferences and patient-led lay summaries.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42023454965.
Topics: Humans; Systematic Reviews as Topic; Polypharmacy; Multimorbidity; Primary Health Care; Research Design; Inappropriate Prescribing; Adult
PubMed: 38806416
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082825 -
Farmacia Hospitalaria : Organo Oficial... May 2024The main objective was to analyze unjustified discrepancies during the medication reconciliation process in patients admitted to the Hematology Service of our hospital...
OBJECTIVE
The main objective was to analyze unjustified discrepancies during the medication reconciliation process in patients admitted to the Hematology Service of our hospital and the pharmaceutical interventions. As a secondary objective, to detect possible points of the procedure to be perfected with a view to protocolizing the medication reconciliation process in hematological patients that adapts to the conditions of our center.
METHODS
Cross-sectional observational pilot study carried out in a reference hospital in hematology for a population of 800,000 inhabitants. Adult inpatients admitted to the Hematology Service between August and October 2022 whose medication had been reconciled were included. The main variables were: number and type of unjustified discrepancy, proposed pharmaceutical intervention, and acceptance rate.
RESULTS
36 conciliation processes were analyzed, 34 admissions and 2 intrahospital transfer. 58.3% of the patients presented at least one unjustified discrepancy. 38 unjustified discrepancies were detected, with an acceptance of pharmaceutical interventions of 97.4%. The most common types of discrepancy were medication omission (56.8%) and drug interaction (24.3%). The most frequent pharmaceutical interventions were reintroducing medication (48.6%) and treatment discontinuation (16.2%). Polypharmacy and chemotherapy multiplied by 4 the probability of presenting drug interactions.
CONCLUSIONS
The most common unjustified discrepancies in the medication reconciliation process in hospitalized hematology patients are: Medication omission and drug interactions. The reintroduction of medication and suspension of the prescription are the most frequent accepted pharmaceutical interventions. Polypharmacy is related to an increase in unjustified discrepancies. The factors that promote the appearance of interactions are admissions to receive chemotherapy treatment and polypharmacy. The main point of improvement detected is the need to create a circuit that allows conciliation to be carried out on discharge. Medication reconciliation contribute to improving patient safety by reducing medication errors.
PubMed: 38806362
DOI: 10.1016/j.farma.2024.04.004 -
Health Informatics Journal 2024Complex socio-technical health information systems (HIS) issues can create new error risks. Therefore, we evaluated the management of HIS-related errors using the...
Complex socio-technical health information systems (HIS) issues can create new error risks. Therefore, we evaluated the management of HIS-related errors using the proposed human, organization, process, and technology-fit framework to identify the lessons learned. Qualitative case study methodology through observation, interview, and document analysis was conducted at a 1000-bed Japanese specialist teaching hospital. Effective management of HIS-related errors was attributable to many socio-technical factors including continuous improvement, safety culture, strong management and leadership, effective communication, preventive and corrective mechanisms, an incident reporting system, and closed feedback loops. Enablers of medication errors include system sophistication and process factors like workarounds, variance, clinical workload, slips and mistakes, and miscommunication. The case management effectiveness in handling the HIS-related errors can guide other clinical settings. The potential of HIS to minimize errors can be achieved through continual, systematic, and structured evaluation. The case study validated the applicability of the proposed evaluation framework that can be applied flexibly according to study contexts to inform HIS stakeholders in decision-making. The comprehensive and specific measures of the proposed framework and approach can be a useful guide for evaluating complex HIS-related errors. Leaner and fitter socio-technical components of HIS can yield safer system use.
Topics: Humans; Health Information Systems; Medical Errors; Qualitative Research; Japan; Patient Safety; Medication Errors; Hospitals, Teaching; Organizational Culture
PubMed: 38805345
DOI: 10.1177/14604582241252763 -
BMJ Open May 2024Polypharmacy and multimorbidity pose escalating challenges. Despite numerous attempts, interventions have yet to show consistent improvements in health outcomes. A key... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Polypharmacy and multimorbidity pose escalating challenges. Despite numerous attempts, interventions have yet to show consistent improvements in health outcomes. A key factor may be varied approaches to targeting patients for intervention.
OBJECTIVES
To explore how patients are targeted for intervention by examining the literature with respect to: understanding how polypharmacy is defined; identifying problematic polypharmacy in practice; and addressing problematic polypharmacy through interventions.
DESIGN
We performed a scoping review as defined by the Joanna Briggs Institute.
SETTING
The focus was on primary care settings.
DATA SOURCES
Medline, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Cochrane along with ClinicalTrials.gov, Science.gov and WorldCat.org were searched from January 2004 to February 2024.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
We included all articles that had a focus on problematic polypharmacy in multimorbidity and primary care, incorporating multiple types of evidence, such as reviews, quantitative trials, qualitative studies and policy documents. Articles focussing on a single index disease or not written in English were excluded.
EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS
We performed a narrative synthesis, comparing themes and findings across the collective evidence to draw contextualised insights and conclusions.
RESULTS
In total, 157 articles were included. Case-finding methods often rely on basic medication counts (often five or more) without considering medical history or whether individual medications are clinically appropriate. Other approaches highlight specific drug indicators and interactions as potentially inappropriate prescribing, failing to capture a proportion of patients not fitting criteria. Different potentially inappropriate prescribing criteria also show significant inconsistencies in determining the appropriateness of medications, often neglecting to consider multimorbidity and underprescribing. This may hinder the identification of the precise population requiring intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
Improved strategies are needed to target patients with polypharmacy, which should consider patient perspectives, individual factors and clinical appropriateness. The development of a cross-cutting measure of problematic polypharmacy that consistently incorporates adjustment for multimorbidity may be a valuable next step to address frequent confounding.
Topics: Humans; Polypharmacy; Multimorbidity; Primary Health Care; Inappropriate Prescribing
PubMed: 38803265
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081698 -
BMJ Open May 2024To assess the potential associations between social determinants of health (SDH) and severe maternal outcomes (SMO), to better understand the social structural framework... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
Impact of social determinants of health on progression from potentially life-threatening complications to near miss events and death during pregnancy and post partum in a middle-income setting: an observational study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the potential associations between social determinants of health (SDH) and severe maternal outcomes (SMO), to better understand the social structural framework and the contributory, non-clinical mechanisms associated with SMO.
STUDY DESIGN
Prospective observational study.
STUDY SETTING
Tertiary referral centre in south-eastern region of India.
PARTICIPANTS
One thousand and thirty-three women with potentially life-threatening complications (PLTC) were identified using WHO criteria.
RISK FACTORS ASSESSED
Social Determinants of Health (SDH).
PRIMARY OUTCOMES
Severe maternal outcomes, which include maternal near-miss and maternal death.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS
Logistic regression to assess the association between SDH and clinical factors on SMO, expressed as adjusted ORs (aOR) with a 95% CI.
RESULTS
Of the 37 590 live births, 1833 (4.9%) sustained PLTC, and 380 (20.7%) developed SMO. Risk of SMO was higher with increasing maternal age (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.04 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.07)), multiparity (aOR 1.44 (1.10 to 1.90)), medical comorbidities (aOR 1.50 (1.11 to 2.02)), obstetric haemorrhage (aOR 4.63 (3.10 to 6.91)), infection (aOR 2.93 (1.83 to 4.70)), delays in seeking care (aOR 3.30 (2.08 to 5.23)), and admissions following a referral (aOR 2.95 (2.21 to 3.93)). SMO was lower in patients from socially backward community (aOR 0.45 (0.33 to 0.61)), those staying more than 10 km from hospital (aOR 0.56 (0.36 to 0.78)), those attending at least four antenatal visits (aOR=0.53 (0.36 to 0.78)) and those referred from resource-limited facilities (aOR=0.62 (0.46 to 0.84)).
CONCLUSION
This study demonstrates the independent contribution of SDH to SMO among those sustaining PLTC in a middle-income setting, highlighting the need to formulate preventive strategies beyond clinical considerations.
Topics: Humans; Female; Pregnancy; Social Determinants of Health; Adult; Prospective Studies; Near Miss, Healthcare; Pregnancy Complications; India; Risk Factors; Young Adult; Maternal Mortality; Logistic Models; Maternal Death; Parity
PubMed: 38802274
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081996