Beliefs about hydroxyurea in youth with sickle cell disease

Background

Hydroxyurea reduces complications and improves health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in sickle cell disease (SCD) patients, however adherence remains suboptimal. Understanding patients’ views of hydroxyurea is critical to optimize adherence, particularly in adolescents and young adults (AYA). Study objectives were to assess beliefs about hydroxyurea using the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ), and to examine the relationship of patients’ beliefs to their hydroxyurea adherence and HRQOL.

Exploring the relationship between cognitive illness representations and poor emotional health and their combined association with diabetes self-care. A systematic review with meta-analysis

Objective

Depression and anxiety are common in diabetes and are associated with lower diabetes self-care adherence. How this occurs is unclear. Our systematic review explored the relationship between cognitive illness representations and poor emotional health and their combined association with diabetes self-care.

Methods

Medline, Psycinfo, EMBASE, and CINAHL were searched from inception to June 2013. Data on associations between cognitive illness representations, poor emotional health, and diabetes self-care were extracted. Random effects meta-analysis was used to test the relationship between cognitive illness representations and poor emotional health. Their combined effect on diabetes self-care was narratively evaluated.

Results

Nine cross-sectional studies were included. Increased timeline cyclical, consequences, and seriousness beliefs were associated with poorer emotional health symptoms. Lower perceived personal control was associated with increased depression and anxiety, but not mixed anxiety and depressive symptoms. Remaining cognitive illness representation domains had mixed statistically significant and non-significant relationships across emotional states or were measured only once. Effect sizes ranged from small to large (r = ± 0.20 to 0.51). Two studies explored the combined effects of cognitions and emotions on diabetes self-care. Both showed that cognitive illness representations have an independent effect on diabetes self-care, but only one study found that depression has an independent effect also.

Conclusions

Associations between cognitive illness representations and poor emotional health were in the expected direction — negative diabetes perceptions were associated with poorer emotional health. Few studies examined the relative effects of cognitions and emotions on diabetes self-care. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify directional pathways.     

Women’s views on and adherence to low‐molecular‐weight heparin therapy during pregnancy and the puerperium

Summary. Background: Non‐adherence to prescribed medication represents a significant factor associated with treatment failure. Pregnant women identified at risk of venous thromboembolism are increasingly being prescribed low‐molecular‐weight heparin (LMWH) during pregnancy and the puerperium. It is important to understand women’s views on and adherence to LMWH during pregnancy and the puerperium, so that women gain maximum benefit from the treatment. Objectives: To monitor women’s adherence to enoxaparin, when prescribed during pregnancy and the puerperium, and explore their beliefs about the enoxaparin therapy prescribed. Patients/Methods: A prospective cohort study involving 95 nullparous and multiparous women prescribed enoxaparin for recognized antenatal indications. Adherence to enoxaparin was assessed through self‐completion of a diary, additionally verified through laboratory tests. An adapted beliefs about medication questionnaire was administered to women during their pregnancy. Results: Women were highly adherent to enoxaparin: antenatally, mean percentage adherence 97.92%; postnatally, mean percentage adherence 93.37% (paired t‐test, P = 0.000). In the cohort of women we followed, their perceived necessity for enoxaparin therapy outweighed any concerns they had regarding enoxaparin antenatally, necessity‐concerns differential 2.20. In some women, however, this perceived necessity does decrease postnatally. Conclusions: Our results suggest that most women prescribed enoxaparin are highly adherent to their therapy during the antenatal period and that women’s antenatal beliefs about enoxaparin are able to predict a decrease in postnatal adherence. Our results have important clinical implications, particularly when women are initiated on LMWH just during the postnatal period.     

基于药物监控平台随访对乳腺癌患者服药依从性的影响

目的评价基于内分泌服药监控平台且由护士主导随访的干预措施对乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者服药信念和服药依从性的影响。方法选取2012年1—12月于复旦大学附属肿瘤医院乳腺中心行术后内分泌治疗的乳腺癌患者311例,随机分为观察组157例和对照组154例,对照组采用常规随访模式,参加医院的门诊常规随访,观察组由护士进行基于药物监控平台的随访。通过服药信念量表得分、服药依从性视觉模拟量表评分以及药物持有率等指标,评价两组患者入组时及入组3个月、6个月、18个月、24个月时的内分泌药物治疗依从性。结果在入组6个月、18个月时,观察组的服药信念量表必要性维度得分、服药依从性视觉模拟量表评分、药物持有率均高于对照组(P0.05)。结论由护士开展的基于药物监控平台的患者随访,可以提高乳腺癌术后辅助内分泌治疗患者的服药依从性。     

Beliefs About Medication and Uptake of Preventive Therapy in Women at Increased Risk of Breast Cancer: Results From a Multicenter Prospective Study

Introduction

Uptake of preventive therapies for breast cancer is low. We examined whether women at increased risk of breast cancer can be categorized into groups with similar medication beliefs, and whether belief group membership was prospectively associated with uptake of preventive therapy.

Lost in translation?: Comparing three Scandinavian translations of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire

Objective

The “Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire” (BMQ) assess balance of necessity and concern of medicines. The BMQ has been translated from English to many languages. However, the original meaning of statements, such as “My medicine is a mystery to me”, may be lost in translation. The aim of this study is to compare three Scandinavian translations of the BMQ. (1) How reliable are the translations? (2) Are they still valid after translation?

Methods

Translated Norwegian, Swedish and Danish versions of the BMQ were scrutinized by three native Scandinavian researchers. Linguistic differences and ambiguities in the 5-point Likert scale and the BMQ statements were compared.

Results

In the Scandinavian translations, the Likert scale expanded beyond the original version at one endpoint (Swedish) or both endpoints (Danish). In the BMQ statements, discrepancies ranged from smaller inaccuracies toward completely different meaning. Some dissimilarities reflect different cultural beliefs about medicines.

Conclusion

When translating questionnaires, bilingual researchers should scrutinize translations across similar languages to address content validity across different countries and languages.

Practice implications

Our findings are of relevance to other BMQ translations in non-English countries, as direct comparisons between different translations might not be reliable or valid.     

Frail elderly patients in primary care—their medication knowledge and beliefs about prescribed medicines

Purpose  The aim of this study was to describe elderly patients’ knowledge about and attitudes towards their medicines in Swedish primary care. Methods  Thirty-four patients aged 65 years and above with multiple illnesses were included. Medication knowledge was assessed with a questionnaire measuring knowledge about indication and possible adverse effects for each medicine. Attitudes were investigated with the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire. Results  The indication of at least 75% of their medicines was known to 71% of the patients. Patients with polypharmacy and multi-dose drug distribution respectively had significantly less knowledge. Eighty-four percent had no knowledge about possible adverse effects. For 93% of the patients, the benefits of the medication outweighed the costs (concerns). No correlation was found between attitudes and knowledge. Conclusions  The knowledge about indication was higher than previously seen, but the knowledge about possible adverse effects was poor. The patients had strong beliefs in the benefits of their medication.     

Different development of general beliefs about medicines during undergraduate studies in medicine,nursing and pharmacy

Objective

To analyze differences in general beliefs about medicines between healthcare students and to see if health education was of importance to general beliefs about medicines.

Method

The participants were students of medicine, pharmacy, pharmaceutical bioscience, dispensing pharmacy, nursing and economics (comparison group) at the University of Gothenburg. Data were collected twice in 2003 and 2005. A questionnaire was used comprising background questions and the general part of Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire.

Results

The questionnaire was completed by 460 of 642 (71.7%) first-year and 293 of 398 (73.6%) third-year students. Over 70% were women and two-thirds were under 25 years of age. Medical and pharmacy students saw medicines as less harmful than nursing students did. Stage of education was also important: third-year medical and pharmacy students saw medicines as more beneficial and less harmful than first-year students did. Experience of medicine use was relevant to general beliefs about medicines.

Conclusion

Different beliefs exist between healthcare professions owing to different types and stages of education, which could result in different messages being given to the patient.

Practice implications

It is important to educate future healthcare professionals about the potential effect of beliefs on communication.