The effect of a locally adapted, secondary stroke risk factor self-management program on medication adherence among veterans with stroke/TIA.

We targeted stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA) survivors to engage in self-management practices to manage secondary stroke risk factors. We conducted a randomized, regional pilot trial of a locally adapted, secondary stroke prevention program. We implemented the program at two Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Program sessions targeted stroke risk factor self-management. Specifically, we evaluated the effect of the program on the reach, implementation, and effectiveness on patient self-efficacy; stroke-specific, health-related quality of life; and medication adherence for the prevalent stroke risk factors: (1) diabetes, (2) hypertension, and (3) hyperlipidemia. Medication possession ratios were calculated to evaluate medication adherence using VA pharmacy benefits data pre (6 months prior) and post (6 months after) the stroke/TIA event. Based upon the literature standard of 80 % compliance rate, we dichotomized compliance and modeled the data using logistical regression. Final sample included 174 veterans with an acute stroke or TIA who were randomized to receive either the intervention (n = 87) or attention control program (n = 87). Patient self-efficacy and stroke-specific, health-related quality of life at 6 months did not significantly differ between groups. We found improvements in medication adherence within the intervention group. In the intervention group, the odds of compliance with diabetes medications post-stroke were significantly larger than the odds of compliance prior to the stroke (odds ratio = 3.45 (95 % CI = 1.08-10.96). For compliance to hypertension medications, the intervention group showed significantly greater odds of compliance post intervention than pre intervention (odds ratio = 3. 68 (95 % CI = 1.81-7.48). The control group showed no difference in compliance rates from baseline to follow-up. For adherence to hypercholesterolemia medications, both the intervention (odds ratio = 5.98 (95 % CI = 2.81-12.76) and control groups (odds ratio = 3.83 (95 % CI = 1.83-8.01), had significant increases in the odds of compliance to statin medications; however, the comparison of changes in log odds of compliance between these two groups showed that the increases were not significantly different. We observed within group improvements in medication adherence among those receiving a post-stroke risk factor self-management program suggesting that a self-management format may be feasible to enable adherence to prescribed medications to reduce secondary stroke risk after stroke in concordance with guideline care. Additional research is needed to enhance intervention components to improve effectiveness outcomes.

Implementation of a stroke self-management program: A randomized controlled pilot study of veterans with stroke.

Secondary stroke prevention is championed as guideline care; yet there are no systematic programs offered. We developed a stroke self-management program to address this gap and pilot test the program. We conducted a randomized controlled trial at two Veterans Administration (VA) hospital sites where we recruited patients with an acute stroke to receive either the stroke program or an attention-control protocol over a 12-week period following hospital discharge. The stroke program included six sessions that facilitated stroke self management focusing on increasing self-efficacy to recover from stroke and engage in secondary stroke risk factor management. We surveyed outcomes at baseline, 3 and 6 months. We conducted an intention to treat analysis comparing the intervention to the control group on changes of outcomes between baseline and follow-up modeled by a linear model with fixed effects for treatment, visit, and the treatment by visit interaction adjusting for baseline. We recruited 63 participants (33 control and 30 intervention) who were hospitalized with a primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke. We found trends in differences between groups on self-efficacy to communicate with physicians, weekly minutes spent in aerobic exercise, and on dimensions of stroke-specific quality of life. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of delivering a stroke self-management program to recent stroke survivors in a healthcare organization. The program also demonstrated improvements in patient self-efficacy, self-management behaviors, specific dimensions of stroke-specific quality of life compared to a group that received an attention placebo program.

Stepped Care for Affective Disorders and Musculoskeletal Pain (SCAMP) study: design and practical implications of an intervention for comorbid pain and depression.

OBJECTIVE: Depression and pain are common comorbid conditions that have reciprocal adverse effects on disability and treatment outcomes. The objective of this article is to describe a study that tests the effectiveness of a stepped-care approach using a combined medication-behavioral intervention. METHOD: Stepped Care for Affective Disorders and Musculoskeletal Pain (SCAMP) is an NIMH-sponsored randomized clinical trial nested within a prospective cohort study. A total of 250 patients with clinically significant depression (PHQ-9 scores > or =10) and musculoskeletal pain of the lower back or legs (hip or knee) and 250 nondepressed patients with similar pain are enrolled, with baseline and serial follow-up assessments to be conducted over 12 months. The depressed patients are randomized to either a stepped-care intervention group or a usual-care control group. Stepped-care patients receive 12 weeks of optimized antidepressant management (Step 1) followed by six sessions of a pain self-management (PSM) program over the next 12 weeks (Step 2), all delivered by a nurse care manager who is supervised by a physician specialist. Approximately two thirds of the care manager contacts are by telephone. RESULTS: The target sample of 500 subjects has been successfully enrolled, and randomization of the depressed patients has resulted in balanced groups of patients with moderately severe pain and depression. Mean SCL-20 depression severity in the clinical trial group is 1.9, with most meeting DSM-IV criteria for major depression (76.3%) and the rest having dysthymia only (18.4%) or minor depression (5.3%). Pain is about equally distributed between lower back (53%) and hip or knee (47%). A rational algorithmic approach to antidepressant selection and dosing, as well as an overview of the PSM program, is provided. CONCLUSIONS: When completed, SCAMP will test whether optimized antidepressant management improves outcomes in patients with comorbid depression and pain and whether PSM produces additional benefits. The findings will be important for both primary care and mental health clinicians confronted by the prevalent depression-pain dyad.