Author Interviews, Chemotherapy, Compliance / 16.12.2013

Dawn L. Hershman, MD MS Associate Professor of Medicine and MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dawn L. Hershman, MD MS Associate Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology Leader, Breast Cancer Program Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center Columbia University Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Hershman: We have found in the past that compliance to 5 years of hormone therapy for the adjuvant treatment of breast cancer is low. While toxicity is a main reason, other factors are also important. Recent studies suggest out of pocket costs are high among cancer patients. We evaluated the change in adherence to hormone therapy after the introduction of generic Aromatase inhibitors. We found that discontinuation decreased and adherence increased with generic aromatase inhibitors compared to brand name. we found that higher co-payments were associated with decreased adherence and increased discontinuation. We also found that patients in the highest income group were more likely to be adherent to hormone therapy. (more…)
Author Interviews, Blood Pressure - Hypertension, Compliance, JACC, Outcomes & Safety, UT Southwestern / 10.12.2013

Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD Professor of Medicine Director, Hypertension Section Cardiology Division UT Southwestern Medical CenteMedicalResearch.com Interview with; Dr. Wanpen Vongpatanasin, MD Professor of Medicine Director, Hypertension Section, Cardiology Division UT Southwestern Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Dr. Vongpatanasin: We found that more than 50% of patients with resistant hypertension were non-adherent to at least one drug prescribed by their primary care physicians for blood pressure control. When we provided this information back to the patients, as part of care in our hypertension specialty clinic, we found that many patients report difficulty taking prescribed medications due to either associated side effects or cost of the medication. When we adjusted patient's medications to fit their needs, BP levels were substantially improved during subsequent visits without increasing the number of medications. (more…)
Author Interviews, Compliance, Connective Tissue Disease, UCSF / 25.11.2013

Dr. Jinoos Yazdany MD, MPH Assistant Professor in Residence UCSF School of MedicineMedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Jinoos Yazdany MD, MPH Assistant Professor in Residence UCSF School of Medicine MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: For almost all of the drugs we examined, we found that less than half of patients adhered to treatment.  For some drugs, less than one-third of individuals were adherent. The average medication possession ratios were low across all drugs. We found that several factors played an important part in adherence.  Younger individuals were less likely to adhere to treatment for several drugs, and we also found racial/ethnic differences, with Black, Hispanic and Native populations having lower adherence.  We also found geographic variation in adherence, with individuals in the Northeast being the most likely to adhere to treatment. (more…)
Author Interviews, BMJ, Compliance, Mental Health Research / 18.10.2013

Professor Stefan Priebe, Dipl.-Psych., Dr. med. habil., FRCPsych Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development Queen Mary, University of LondonMedicalResearch.com Interview with Professor Stefan Priebe, Dipl.-Psych., Dr. med. habil., FRCPsych Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health Services Development Queen Mary, University of London MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study? Answer: Offering modest financial incentives can help patients to achieve better adherence to anti-psychotic maintenance medication.  (more…)