Supporting adherence to oral anticancer agents : clinical practice and clues to improve care provided by physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists

Background: Healthcare provider (HCP) activities and attitudes towards patients strongly influence medication adherence. The aim of this study was to assess current clinical practices to support patients in adhering to treatment with oral anticancer agents (OACA) and to explore clues to improve the management of medication adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational study among HCPs in (haemato-) oncology settings in Belgium and the Netherlands was conducted in 2014 using a composite questionnaire. A total of 47 care activities were listed and categorised into eight domains. HCPs were also asked about their perceptions of adherence management on the items: insight into adherence, patients' communication, capability to influence, knowledge of consequences and insight into causes. Validated questionnaires were used to assess beliefs about medication (BMQ) and shared decision making (SDM-Q-doc). Results: In total, 208 HCPs (29% male) participated; 107 from 51 Dutch and 101 from 26 Belgian hospitals. Though a wide range of activities were reported, certain domains concerning medication adherence management received less attention. Activities related to patient knowledge and adverse event management were reported most frequently, whereas activities aimed at patient's self-efficacy and medication adherence during ongoing use were frequently missed. The care provided differed between professions and by country. Belgian physicians reported more activities than Dutch physicians, whereas Dutch nurses and pharmacists reported more activities than Belgian colleagues. The perceptions of medication adherence management were related to the level of care provided by HCPs. SDM and BMQ outcomes were not related to the care provided. Conclusions: Enhancing the awareness and perceptions of medication adherence management of HCPs is likely to have a positive effect on care quality. Care can be improved by addressing medication adherence more directly e. g., by questioning patients about (expected) barriers and discussing strategies to overcome them, by asking for missed doses and offering (electronic) reminders to support long-term medication adherence. A multidisciplinary approach is recommended in which the role of the pharmacist could be expanded

The use of erlotinib in daily practice: a study on adherence and patients' experiences

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adherence to pharmacological therapy is a complex and multi-factorial issue that can substantially alter the outcome of treatment. It has been shown that cancer patients, especially when using long-term medication, have similar adherence rates to those of patients with other diseases. The consequences of poor adherence are poor health outcomes and increased health care costs. Only few studies have focused on the use of oral anticancer agents in daily practice. Information about the reasons for non-adherence is essential for the development of interventions that may increase adherence. This paper presents the CAPER-erlotinib protocol, which is designed to study the relationship between adherence to erlotinib and both the plasma concentration and side-effects in patients with NSCLC. Further, the relationships between patient characteristics, disease characteristics, side-effects, quality of life, patient beliefs and attitude towards disease and medication, dose adjustments, reasons for discontinuation and plasma concentration of erlotinib will be explored.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>In this prospective observational cohort study 65 NSCLC patients of 18 years or older starting treatment with erlotinib will be followed for a period up to 16 weeks. The main study parameters are adherence, the plasma concentration of erlotinib and the number and grade of side-effects. At baseline and on erlotinib treatment in weeks 3-4, 8-9, 12 and 15-16, patients will be asked to fill out a questionnaire. In weeks 3-4, 8-9 and 15-16 blood samples are collected, which will be analysed for plasma concentration of erlotinib. Adherence will be measured using a medication event monitoring system.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The present study aims to get more insight into patients' experiences with the use of erlotinib in daily practice and the various aspects that govern adherence. We hypothesize that side-effects play an important role in the way patients use erlotinib. We expect that the present study will provide valuable knowledge which will be useful for health care professionals to develop interventions to support patients. This approach will improve the adherence and persistence with the use of erlotinib in order to derive optimal benefit from the medication.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p><a href="http://www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/admin/rctview.asp?TC=1830">NTR1830</a></p

Adherence to oral anticancer agents: healthcare providers' perceptions, beliefs and shared decision making in Belgium and the Netherlands

Background: Little is known about healthcare providers' (HCPs) perceptions of adherence management of oral anticancer agents (OACA). The study aims to explore HCPs perceptions of OACA and adherence. Methods: A cross-sectional, multi-center observational study among HCPs in hemato-oncology settings in Belgium and the Netherlands was conducted. Physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists were asked to complete questionnaires on their perception of patient adherence and its management (PAMQ) and their beliefs about OACA (BMQ-Specific). Physicians were also asked to complete a questionnaire on their perception of shared decision making (SDM-Q-Doc). Results: The sample consisted of 254 HCPs. Variations were found between HCPs on the PAMQ: 56%, 50%, 28% and 23% of, respectively, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists reported to know the level of adherence of their patients and 59%, 53%, 43% and 10% of, respectively, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists think that patients discuss adherence with them. 70%, 82%, 63% and 62% of, respectively, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists reported to have knowledge of causes of non-adherence, while 78%, 87%, 76% and 80% of them reported to have knowledge of consequences of non-adherence. 81%, 92%, 83% and 67% of, respectively, physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses and pharmacists felt able to influence adherence. Lower concerns beliefs were associated with a higher total score on the PAMQ [beta (SE)=-0.85 (0.24); CI -1.33--0.38]. Physicians scored a mean of 75 on the SDM-scale. Conclusions: A considerable part of the HCPs states they do not know the adherence of their patients, nor do they think patients discuss adherence with them. However, they feel to have knowledge of adherence and perceive to be able to influence adherence of their patients