Andrew Bilderback

Longitudinal association between medication adherence and lung health in people with cystic fibrosis

BACKGROUND This study examined the relationship of medication adherence to frequency of pulmonary exacerbation and rate of decline in FEV(1)% predicted (FEV(1)). METHODS 95 CF patients aged 6 years or older and prescribed a pulmonary medication, were enrolled in a longitudinal retrospective review of medication adherence and health outcomes (the occurrence and frequency of intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatments and FEV(1)) over 12-months. Pharmacy refill records were used to calculate a medication possession ratio (MPR). RESULTS Composite MPR predicted the occurrence of at least one pulmonary exacerbation requiring a course of IV antibiotics (IRR=2.34, p=0.05), but not the frequency of exacerbations, after controlling for gender, baseline FEV(1,) and regimen complexity. Composite MPR predicted baseline FEV(1) (estimate=29.81, p=.007), but not decline in FEV(1). CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate a significant relation between medication adherence and IV antibiotics in CF patients, highlighting the importance of addressing adherence during clinic visits to improve health outcomes.

Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids: An ancillary study of the Childhood Asthma Management Program clinical trial

BACKGROUND Information comparing subjective and objective measurements of adherence to study medications and the effects of adherence on treatment-related differences in asthma clinical trials are limited. OBJECTIVE We sought to compare subjective and objective measurements of childrens adherence to inhaled corticosteroids or placebo and to determine whether adherence to study medications modified treatment-related differences in outcomes. METHODS In an ancillary study conducted in 3 of 8 Childhood Asthma Management Program Clinical Centers, adherence was assessed by using self-reported and objective data in 5- to 12-year-old children with mild or moderate asthma who were randomly assigned to 200 μg of inhaled budesonide twice per day (n = 84) or placebo (n = 56) for 4 years. The κ statistic was used to evaluate agreement between self-reported adherence (daily diary cards) and objectively measured adherence (number of doses left in study inhalers). Multivariable analyses were used to determine whether adherence to study treatment modified treatment-related differences in outcomes. RESULTS Adherence of less than 80% was seen in 75% of 140 children when adherence was measured objectively but only in 6% of children when measured by means of self-report. There was poor agreement between objective and subjective measurements of adherence of at least 80% (κ = 0.00; 95% CI, -0.05 to 0.04); self-reported adherence over the 4-year period generally overestimated objectively measured adherence (93.6% vs 60.8%, P < .0001). There was little evidence to indicate that adherence modified treatment-related differences in outcomes. CONCLUSION Researchers should use objective rather than self-reported adherence data to identify clinical trial participants with low levels of adherence to study treatment.

Adherence Feedback to Improve Asthma Outcomes Among Inner-City Children: A Randomized Trial

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the longitudinal effects of home-based asthma education combined with medication adherence feedback (adherence monitoring with feedback [AMF]) and asthma education alone (asthma basic care [ABC]) on asthma outcomes, relative to a usual-care (UC) control group. METHODS: A total of 250 inner-city children with asthma (mean age: 7 years; 62% male; 98% black) were recruited from a pediatric emergency department (ED). Health-outcome measures included caregiver-frequency of asthma symptoms, ED visits, hospitalizations, and courses of oral corticosteroids at baseline and 6-, 12-, and 18-month assessments. Adherence measures included caregiver-reported adherence to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy and pharmacy records of ICS refills. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the differential effects of AMF and ABC compared with UC. RESULTS: ED visits decreased more rapidly for the AMF group than for the UC group, but no difference was found between the ABC and UC groups. The AMF intervention led to short-term improvements in ICS adherence during the active-intervention phase relative to UC, but this improvement decreased over time. Asthma symptoms and courses of corticosteroids decreased more rapidly for the ABC group than for the UC group. Hospitalization rates did not differ between either intervention group and the UC group. No differences were found between the ABC and AMF groups on any outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Asthma education led to improved adherence and decreased morbidity compared with UC. Home-based educational interventions may lead to modest short-term improvements in asthma outcomes among inner-city children. Adherence feedback did not improve outcomes over education alone.

Do asthma medication beliefs mediate the relationship between minority status and adherence to therapy

Minority status has been associated with lower asthma medication adherence. We evaluated whether medication beliefs mediated this association. 86 adults with asthma on inhaled corticosteroid therapy completed surveys regarding selected beliefs about asthma medications. Medication adherence for 1 month was electronically measured. Mean daily adherence was lower in minority patients than in Caucasians (p <. 001). Multiple negative asthma medication beliefs were associated with lower adherence (p′s <. 05). Minorities had increased adjusted odds of having a high negative medication beliefs score. Finally, a bootstrapped estimate demonstrated a mediating effect by negative asthma beliefs on the minority status-adherence association (−.073 [95% CI: −.16, −.01]).

The use of personal protective equipment for control of influenza among critical care clinicians: A survey study

Background: Intensive care units (ICUs) are potential high-risk areas for transmission of viruses causing febrile respiratory illness, such as influenza. Healthcare-associated influenza is prevented through healthcare worker (HCW) vaccination and effective use of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended infection control practices, including use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Although effective PPE use may significantly reduce healthcare-associated influenza transmission, PPE adherence among ICU HCWs for preventing nosocomial influenza infection has not been evaluated. Objective: To characterize ICU HCW behavior, knowledge, and attitudes about recommended precautions for the prevention of healthcare-associated influenza infections. Design, Setting, and Participants: A survey of 292 internal medicine housestaff, pulmonary/critical care fellows and faculty, nurses, and respiratory care professionals working in four ICUs in two hospitals in Baltimore, MD. Measurements and Main Results: Of those surveyed, 88% (n = 256) completed the survey. Only 63% of respondents were able to correctly identify adequate influenza PPE, and 62% reported high adherence (>80%) with PPE use for prevention of nosocomial influenza. In multivariable modeling, odds of high adherence varied by clinician type. Respondents who believed adherence was inconvenient had lower odds of high adherence (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval 0.22–0.82), and those reporting likelihood of being reprimanded for nonadherence were more likely to adhere (odds ratio 2.40, 95% confidence interval 1.25–4.62). Conclusions: ICU HCWs report suboptimal levels of influenza PPE adherence. This finding in a high-risk setting is particularly concerning, given that it likely overestimates actual behavior. Both suboptimal adherence levels and significant PPE knowledge gaps indicate that ICU HCWs may be at a substantial risk of developing and/or transmitting nosocomial respiratory viral infection. Improving respiratory virus infection control will likely require closing knowledge gaps and changing organizational factors that influence behavior.

The development of a motivational interviewing intervention to promote medication adherence among inner-city, African-American adolescents with asthma

OBJECTIVE to develop and assess the feasibility of a motivational interviewing (MI) based asthma self-management program for inner-city, African-American, adolescents with asthma. METHODS 37 African-American adolescents (age 10-15 years) recently seen in an inner-city emergency department for asthma and prescribed an asthma controller medication participated in the newly developed program consisting of 5 home visits. Adolescents and their caregivers completed phone-based surveys before and after the intervention. RESULTS 95% of the adolescents completed all 5 sessions; 89% of caregivers and 76% of adolescents believed other families would benefit from the intervention. Caregivers were more likely to report 100% adherence post-intervention compared to pre-intervention and reported a trend for adolescents taking greater responsibility for their asthma. There were no pre-post-differences in adolescent-reported medication adherence, but adolescents did reported increased motivation and readiness to adhere to treatment. Caregivers and adolescents each reported statistically significant increases in their asthma quality of life. CONCLUSIONS the findings from this pilot study suggest that MI is a feasible and promising approach for increasing medication adherence among inner-city adolescents with asthma and is worthy of further evaluation in a randomized trial. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS incorporating MI into disease management programs may enhance their effectiveness.

Does higher body mass index contribute to worse asthma control in an urban population

BACKGROUND Epidemiologic findings support a positive association between asthma and obesity. OBJECTIVE Determine whether obesity or increasing level of body mass index (BMI) are associated with worse asthma control in an ethnically diverse urban population. METHODS Cross-sectional assessment of asthma control was performed in patients with asthma recruited from primary care offices by using 4 different validated asthma control questionnaires: the Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (ACCI), the Asthma Control Test (ACT), the Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and the Asthma Therapy Assessment Questionnaire (ATAQ). Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between obesity and increasing BMI level and asthma control. RESULTS Of 292 subjects with a mean age of 47 years, the majority were women (82%) and African American (67%). There was a high prevalence of obesity with 63%, with only 15% normal weight. The mean score from all 4 questionnaires showed an average suboptimal asthma control (mean score/maximum possible score): ACCI (8.3/19), ACT (15.4/25), ACQ (2.1/6), and ATAQ (1.3/4). Regression analysis showed no association between obesity or increasing BMI level and asthma control using all 4 questionnaires. This finding persisted even after adjusting for FEV(1), smoking status, race, sex, selected comorbid illnesses, and long-term asthma controller use. CONCLUSION Using 4 validated asthma control questionnaires, we failed to find an association between obesity and asthma control in an urban population with asthma. Weight loss may not be an appropriate strategy to improve asthma control in this population.

Effectiveness of Motivational Interviewing to Reduce Head Start Children’s Secondhand Smoke Exposure. A Randomized Clinical Trial

RATIONALE Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) is a significant modifiable risk for respiratory health in children. Although SHSe is declining overall, it has increased for low-income and minority populations. Implementation of effective SHSe interventions within community organizations has the potential for significant public health impact. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) delivered in the context of a SHS education reduction initiative within Head Start to reduce preschool childrens SHSe. METHODS A total of 350 children enrolled in Baltimore City Head Start whose caregivers reported a smoker living in the home were recruited. Caregivers were randomized to MI + education or education alone. Assessments were conducted at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS The primary outcome measure was household air nicotine levels measured by passive dosimeters. Secondary outcomes included child salivary cotinine, self-report of home smoking ban (HSB), and smoking status. Participants in the MI + education group had significantly lower air nicotine levels (0.29 vs. 0.40 mg), 17% increase in prevalence of caregiver-reported HSBs, and a 13% decrease in caregiver smokers compared with education-alone group (all P values < 0.05). Although group differences in salivary cotinine were not significant, among all families who reported having an HSB, salivary cotinine and air nicotine levels declined in both groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS MI may be effective in community settings to reduce child SHSe. More research is needed to identify ways to tailor interventions to directly impact child SHSe and to engage more families to make behavioral change. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT 00927264).

The Asthma Control and Communication Instrument: A clinical tool developed for ethnically diverse populations

BACKGROUND Lower levels of quality asthma care among racially diverse populations might be due to inaccurate disease status assessments. The Asthma Control and Communication Instrument (ACCI) is a new tool that captures patient report of disease status during routine care. OBJECTIVE We sought to test the ACCIs psychometric properties in a racially diverse population. METHODS We performed a cross-sectional study. Subjects were recruited from specialist and generalist urban outpatient clinics. The ACCI and measures of asthma control, quality of life, lung function, and specialist rating of asthma status were collected. Four ACCI domains were separately validated: Acute Care, Bother, Control, and Direction. Principal component analysis, internal consistency, concurrent, discriminative, known-groups validity, and accuracy were evaluated. RESULTS Two hundred seventy asthmatic patients (77% female subjects, 55% black) participated. ACCI Control domain internal consistency was 0.80. ACCI Bother, Control, and Direction domains showed strong concurrent validity with asthma control and quality-of-life measures (all P < .001). ACCI Acute Care and Direction domains showed strong concurrent validity with individual validation items (all P < .001). The ACCI Control domain discriminated clinically important levels of disease status measured by asthma control, quality of life (both P < .001), and percent predicted peak expiratory flow rate (P = .005) and was associated with specialist rating of disease status (P < .001), confirming known-groups validity. The accuracy of the ACCI Control domain in classifying patients with uncontrolled asthma was very good (area under the curve, 0.851; 95% CI, 0.742-0.95870). Results were similar for both black and white subjects. CONCLUSION The ACCI is a promising clinical tool that measures asthma disease status during routine health care and is valid for use in both black and white populations.

Asthma in Head Start children: Effects of the Breathmobile program and family communication on asthma outcomes

BACKGROUND Asthma morbidity and mortality rates are high among young inner-city children. Lack of routine primary care provider visits, poor access to care, and poor patient-physician communication might be contributing factors. OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the effects of providing Breathmobile services only, a Facilitated Asthma Communication Intervention (FACI) only, or both Breathmobile plus FACI on asthma outcomes relative to standard care. METHODS Children with asthma (n = 322; mean age, 4 years; 53% male; 97% African American) were recruited from Head Start programs in Baltimore City and randomized into 4 groups. Outcome measures included symptom-free days (SFDs), urgent care use (emergency department visits and hospitalizations), and medication use (courses of oral steroids and proportion taking an asthma controller medication), as reported by caregivers at baseline, 6-month, and 12-month assessments. Generalized estimating equations models were conducted to examine the differential treatment effects of the Breathmobile and FACI compared with standard care. RESULTS Children in the combined treatment group (Breathmobile plus FACI) had an increase of 1.7 (6.6%) SFDs that was not maintained at 12 months. In intent-to-treat analyses the FACI-only group had an increase in the number of emergency department visits at 6 months, which was not present at 12 months or in the post hoc as-treated analyses. No significant differences were found between the intervention groups compared with those receiving standard care on all other outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS Other than a slight improvement in SFDs at 6 months in the Breathmobile plus FACI group, the intervention components did not result in any significant improvements in asthma management or asthma morbidity.