Participation of Women in Clinical Trials Supporting FDA Approval of Cardiovascular Drugs

Background

Concerns exist that women are underrepresented in trials of cardiovascular medications.

The Effect of Patient Portals on Quality Outcomes and Its Implications to Meaningful Use: A Systematic Review

Background

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act imposes pressure on health care organizations to qualify for “Meaningful Use”. It is assumed that portals should increase patient participation in medical decisions, but whether or not the use of portals improves outcomes remains to be seen.

Objective

The purpose of this systemic review is to outline and summarize study results on the effect of patient portals on quality, or chronic-condition outcomes as defined by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and its implications to Meaningful Use since the beginning of 2011. This review updates and builds on the work by Ammenwerth, Schnell-Inderst, and Hoerbst.

Methods

We performed a systematic literature search in PubMed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. We identified any data-driven study, quantitative or qualitative, that examined a relationship between patient portals, or patient portal features, and outcomes. We also wanted to relate the findings back to Meaningful Use criteria. Over 4000 articles were screened, and 27 were analyzed and summarized for this systematic review.

Results

We identified 26 studies and 1 review, and we summarized their findings and applicability to our research question. Very few studies associated use of the patient portal, or its features, to improved outcomes; 37% (10/27) of papers reported improvements in medication adherence, disease awareness, self-management of disease, a decrease of office visits, an increase in preventative medicine, and an increase in extended office visits, at the patient’s request for additional information. The results also show an increase in quality in terms of patient satisfaction and customer retention, but there are weak results on medical outcomes.

Conclusions

The results of this review demonstrate that more health care organizations today offer features of a patient portal than in the review published in 2011. Articles reviewed rarely analyzed a full patient portal but instead analyzed features of a portal such as secure messaging, as well as disease management and monitoring. The ability of patients to be able to view their health information electronically meets the intent of Meaningful Use, Stage 2 requirements, but the ability to transmit to a third party was not found in the review.     

Activity limitations and participation restrictions experienced by people with stroke in Musanze district in Rwanda

BackgroundStroke is a major cause of long-term disability. Information regarding the limitations in activity and participation experienced by patients with stroke in a specific setting such as Musanze district in Rwanda would assist to develop the rehabilitation programmes that would take into consideration the functional challenges experienced post stroke.ObjectiveTo explore the activity limitations and participation restrictions experienced by people with stroke in Musanze district in Rwanda.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach using in-depth face-to-face interviews with 10 participants was employed to gather the data that was analyzed using a qualitative thematic approach.ResultsThe themes that arose as activity limitations included limitations in walking, self care, and domestic life activities. The themes related to participation restrictions as expressed by the participants were inability to return to previous occupation, decreased social interactions and inability to participate in religious activities.ConclusionThe current study findings highlight the need for interventions to improve the functional status of stroke survivors.     

Physician communication styles in initial consultations for hematological cancer

ObjectiveTo characterize practices in subspecialist physicians’ communication styles, and their potential effects on shared decision-making, in second-opinion consultations.MethodsTheme-oriented discourse analysis of 20 second-opinion consultations with subspecialist hematologist-oncologists.ResultsPhysicians frequently “broadcasted” information about the disease, treatment options, relevant research, and prognostic information in extended, often-uninterrupted monologs. Their communicative styles had one of two implications: conveying options without offering specific recommendations, or recommending one without incorporating patients’ goals and values into the decision. Some physicians, however, used techniques that encouraged patient participation.ConclusionsBroadcasting may be a suboptimal method of conveying complex treatment information in order to support shared decision-making. Interventions could teach techniques that encourage patient participation.Practice implicationsTechniques such as open-ended questions, affirmations of patients’ expressions, and pauses to check for patient understanding can mitigate the effects of broadcasting and could be used to promote shared decision-making in information-dense subspecialist consultations.     

Advanced cancer patients’ and caregivers’ use of a Question Prompt List

Objective

The objective of this study was to provide insight into how advanced cancer patients and their caregivers use a Question Prompt List (QPL) during a consultation and for preparation for future consultations.

Methods

Audiotaped consultations and follow-up phone calls of 28 advanced cancer patients were coded and content analyzed. Questions asked and concerns expressed in consultations were coded for initiator, content, inclusion in the QPL and exact wording. Patients’ reported and future use of the QPL were coded from the phone calls.

Results

The majority of patients reported that they used the QPL. Questions asked by patients and caregivers predominately coincided with questions from the prognosis section of the QPL. Questions were rarely asked literally from the QPL, instead questions were tailored to patients’ own circumstances.

Conclusion

QPLs are useful to stimulate discussion on prognosis among advanced cancer patients and caregivers. Patients tailored questions from the QPL to their own circumstances which may suggest high involvement and engagement. The development of more specific tailored communication interventions for advanced cancer patients is warranted.

Practice implications

Implementation of QPLs in the advanced cancer setting may be beneficial for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers to facilitate discussion of topics such as prognosis.