Sujit S. Sansgiry

Consumer involvement: effects on information processing from over-the-counter medication labels.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of consumer involvement on information processing from over-the-counter (OTC) medication labels. A sample of 256 students evaluated simulated OTC product labels for two product categories (headache and cold) in random order. Each participant evaluated labels after reading a scenario to simulate high and low involvement respectively. A questionnaire was used to collect data on variables such as label comprehension, attitude-towards-product label, product evaluation, and purchase intention. The results indicate that when consumers are involved in their purchase of OTC medications they are significantly more likely to understand information from the label and evaluate it accordingly. However, involvement does not affect attitude-towards-product label nor does it enhance purchase intention.

Effectiveness of FDA’s new over-the-counter acetaminophen warning label in improving consumer risk perception of liver damage

What is known and Objectives:  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued new organ‐specific warning label requirements for over‐the‐counter (OTC) analgesic products in order to make consumers aware of the risk of liver damage when using acetaminophen. However, awareness of a health risk alone cannot ensure consumers’ engagement in safe and preventive behaviour. In this study, we attempted to: (i) measure consumer risk perception of liver damage due to the OTC acetaminophen products and (ii) analyse the effectiveness of the new organ‐specific warning label in improving consumer risk perception of liver damage and intention to perform protective behaviours while using OTC acetaminophen products.

Factors affecting job satisfaction among hospital pharmacists

Objective Job satisfaction is the favorableness with which employees view their work. Two main factors that affect job satisfaction are intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics. Intrinsic factors lead to satisfaction, whereas extrinsic characteristics prevent dissatisfaction. The objective of this study was to determine the level of job satisfaction among hospital pharmacists at the Texas Medical Center by looking specifically at intrinsic and extrinsic factors that managers may use to promote a higher level of job satisfaction. Methods A survey about intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics was administered to hospital pharmacists. The survey employed a 5-point “strongly agree” (5) to “strongly disagree” (1) scale; satisfaction was measured using two previously validated scales abbreviated as JS1 and JS2. Eighty-five completed surveys were received for a response rate of 26%. Results The mean age of the respondents was 40 years (± 9.7); the majority of respondents were female (64.3%). In general, pharmacists were satisfied with their job. The mean job satisfaction scores on the two scales were 3.32 ± 0.86 for JS1 and 3.43 ± 0.84 for JS2. Job satisfaction was significantly correlated with intrinsic (rJS1 = 0.61, rJS2 = 0.54, P < 0.05) and extrinsic factors (rJS1 = 0.64, rJS1 = 0.61, P < 0.05). Furthermore, intrinsic and extrinsic factors were significantly correlated with each other (r = 0.48, P < 0.05). Conclusion Hospital pharmacists at the Texas Medical Center were satisfied with their current jobs and liked their jobs. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors were significantly correlated with job satisfaction and with each other, indicating their importance when measuring job satisfaction.

Impact of Electronic Health Records on Nurses' Productivity

As the use of electronic health records increases, it becomes necessary to address their global impact on nurses’ productivity in hospitals. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to explore the impact of electronic health records on nurses’ productivity and to examine whether the impacts are moderated through case-mix index or adjusted patient-days. Two sources of data were linked and analyzed for years 2007 and 2008: the American Hospital Association survey and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data. Almost two-thirds of the respondent hospitals in both years (63.9% in 2007 and 68.4% in 2008) had a high electronic health record index (≥5). Hospitals with higher penetration of electronic health records had more RNs employed (coefficient = 0.234, P = .002) compared with hospitals with low penetration of electronic health records, even when controlling for adjusted patient-day volumes. This difference decreased for hospitals with higher case-mix index values. The study findings fail to suggest any financial savings or superior productivity in nurses due to usage of electronic health records.

Economic burden of Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Abstract Objective: Chronic infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is the primary cause of pulmonary deterioration in cystic fibrosis (CF). This study describes healthcare costs and resource utilization among CF patients following PA infection in the US. Methods: This retrospective study utilized data from MarketScan claims database. CF patients with an initial PA infection were identified, and their healthcare utilization, medical and pharmacy costs were extracted for 12 months, pre- and post-PA infection. Descriptive and pair-wise non-parametric statistical analyses compared healthcare utilization and costs before and after infection. Results: Three hundred and fifty-eight CF patients met study criteria (mean age 20.1 years; 48% female). Mean annual per-patient costs following initial PA infection increased by an estimated

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Surveillance Among Cirrhotic Patients With Commercial Health Insurance.

18,516 (outpatient:

Development of a conceptual model of health-related quality of life among hepatitis C patients: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

3113; inpatient:

Use/misuse of over-the-counter medications and associated adverse drug events among HIV-infected patients.

10,123; pharmacy:

Hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance rates in commercially insured patients with noncirrhotic chronic hepatitis B

4943). Overall healthcare costs were significantly higher (p < 0.0001) following PA infection, as were overall inpatient visits, outpatient visits, and unique prescriptions (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: PA infection in cystic fibrosis creates a significant economic burden and the cost is not uniformly distributed across the healthcare components. Limitations: Key limitations of this study include the absence of clinical parameters to characterize PA infections and data on indirect costs such as loss of productivity or caretaker-related burden.

Impact of Computerized Provider Order Entry on Pharmacist Productivity

Goals: To evaluate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance rates among commercially insured patients, and evaluate factors associated with compliance with surveillance recommendations. Background: Most HCC occurs in patients with cirrhosis. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and European Association for the Study of the Liver guidelines each recommend biannual HCC surveillance for cirrhotic patients to diagnose HCC at an early, curable stage. However, compliance with these guidelines in commercially insured patients is unknown. Study: We used the Truven Health Analytics databases from 2006 to 2010, using January 1, 2006 as the anchor date for evaluating outcomes. The primary outcome was continuous surveillance measure, defined as the proportion of time “up-to-date” with surveillance (PTUDS), with the 6-month interval immediately following each ultrasound categorized as “up-to-date.” Results: During a median follow-up of 22.9 (interquartile range, 16.3 to 33.9) months among 8916 cirrhotic patients, the mean PTUDS was 0.34 (SD, 0.29), and the median was 0.31 (interquartile range, 0.03 to 0.52). These values increased only modestly with inclusion of serum alpha-fetoprotein testing, contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomographic scans or magnetic resonance imagings, and/or extension of up-to-date time to 12 months. Being diagnosed by a nongastroenterology provider and increasing age were significantly associated with decreased HCC surveillance (P<0.05), whereas a history of a hepatic decompensation event, presence of any component of the metabolic syndrome, and diagnosis of hepatitis B or hepatitis C were significantly associated with increased surveillance (P<0.05). However, even among patients with the most favorable characteristics, surveillance rates remained low. Conclusions: HCC surveillance rates in commercially insured at-risk patients remain poor despite formalized guidelines, highlighting the need to develop interventions to improve surveillance rates.