Predictors of Preexposure Prophylaxis Eligibility among Pregnant People with Opioid Use Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: We seek to evaluate risk factors for eligibility for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among pregnant people with opioid use disorder (OUD). STUDY DESIGN: This is a single-site retrospective cohort study of pregnant people admitted for management of OUD at an urban, tertiary care center from 2013 to 2022. PrEP eligibility was defined based on (1) modified American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' (ACOG) 2014 criteria: diagnosis of a sexually transmitted infection (STI), engagement in transactional sex work, intravenous drug use (IVDU), or incarceration and (2) modified 2021 Centers for Disease Control (CDC) criteria: diagnosis of bacterial STI (e.g., gonorrhea or syphilis) or transactional sex work. Risk factors associated with PrEP eligibility were evaluated using chi- square or Fischer's exact tests for categorical variables and t-tests or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests for continuous variables. Multivariable regression was used to control for confounding covariates, defined as p < 0.10 on bivariate analysis. p < 0.05 was used to indicate statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 132 individuals met inclusion criteria, of whom 101 (76.5%) were deemed eligible for PrEP by meeting one or more modified 2014 ACOG criteria: 42 (31.8%) were incarcerated or had one or more STIs, while 30 (22.7%) endorsed engaging in transactional sex work and 68 (58.6%) endorsed IVDU. Using modified 2021 CDC criteria, 37 (28%) met PrEP eligibility, with 12 (9.1%) diagnosed specifically with a bacterial STI and 30 (22.7%) engaging in transactional sex work. Only comorbid psychiatric illness was associated with an increased risk for PrEP eligibility based on 2014 criteria, which persisted after controlling for maternal race/ethnicity (aRR 1.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-1.86), and 2021 criteria, which persisted after controlling for nulliparity (aRR 2.12, 95% CI 1.30-3.57). CONCLUSION: A significant number of pregnant people with OUD meet one or more criteria for PrEP, with comorbid psychiatric conditions increasing the risk of meeting criteria. KEY POINTS: · Comorbid psychiatric illness is significantly associated with high risk of PrEP eligibility.. · A large proportion of pregnant individuals with active OUD meet criteria for PrEP prescribing.. · Risk-based screening algorithms for PrEP eligibility have limitations..

Barriers to medication adherence in sickle cell disease: A comprehensive theory-based evaluation using the COM-B model.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) affects more than 100,000 Americans, with complications such as pain episodes and acute chest syndrome. Despite the efficacy of hydroxyurea in reducing these complications, adherence remains low. Study objectives were to examine barriers to hydroxyurea adherence, and to evaluate the relationship between barriers and their impact on adherence. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, patients with SCD and their caregivers were enrolled if they were taking hydroxyurea. Study measures included demographics, self-report of adherence using visual analog scale (VAS), and the Disease Management and Barriers Interview (DMI)-SCD. The DMI-SCD was mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behavior (COM-B) model. RESULTS: Forty-eight caregivers (females 83%, median age 38 [34-43]) and 19 patients (male 53%, median age 15 [13.5-18]) participated. Using VAS, many patients (63%) reported low hydroxyurea adherence, while most caregivers (75%) reported high adherence. Caregivers endorsed barriers across multiple COM-B components, with physical opportunity (e.g., cost) and reflective motivation (e.g., SCD perceptions) being the most identified categories (48% and 42%), respectively. Patients' most identified barriers included psychological capability (e.g., forgetfulness) and reflective motivation (84% and 68%), respectively. Patients' and caregivers' VAS scores negatively correlated with the number of barriers (rs  = -.53, p = .01; rs  = -.28, p = .05) and COM-B categories (rs  = -.51, p = .02; rs  = -.35, p = .01), respectively, suggesting lower adherence with more endorsed barriers. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer barriers to hydroxyurea adherence were associated with higher adherence. Understanding barriers to adherence is essential to develop tailored interventions aimed at improving adherence.

Adherence to Iron Chelation Therapy among Adults with Thalassemia: A Systematic Review.

Iron chelation therapy (ICT) is essential to prevent complications of iron overload in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassemia. However, the role that adherence to ICT plays in health-related outcomes is less well known. Our objectives were to identify adherence rates of ICT, and to assess methods of measurement, predictors of adherence, and adherence-related health outcomes in the literature published between 1980 and 2020. Of 543 articles, 43 met the inclusion criteria. Studies measured ICT adherence, predictors, and/or outcomes associated with adherence. Most studies were across multiple countries in Europe and North America (n = 8/43, 18.6%), recruited in clinics (n = 39/43, 90.7%), and focused on ß-thalassemia (ß-thal) (n = 25/43, 58.1%). Common methods of assessing ICT adherence included patient self-report (n = 24/43, 55.8%), pill count (n = 9/43, 20.9%), prescription refill history (n = 3/43, 7.0%), provider scoring (n = 3/43, 7.0%), and combinations of methods (n = 4/43, 9.3%). Studies reported adherence either in 'categories' with different levels of adherence (n = 24) or 'quantitatively' as a percentage of doses of medication taken out of those prescribed (n = 17). Adherence levels varied (median 91.7%, range 42.0-99.97%). Studies varied in sample size and methods of adherence assessment and reporting, which prohibited meta-analysis. Due to a lack of consensus on how adherence is defined, it is difficult to compare ICT adherence reporting. Further research is needed to establish guidelines for assessing adherence and identifying suboptimal adherence. Behavioral digital interventions have the potential to optimize ICT adherence and health outcomes.

Higher hydroxyurea adherence among young adults with sickle cell disease compared to children and adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell disease (SCD) results in severe complications, such as anaemia and pain episodes. Hydroxyurea (HU) is efficacious in SCD, yet adherence remains low. OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship of HU adherence to health care utilization and patients' characteristics. METHODS: This is a 5-year retrospective chart review. Patients' demographics and medical history were collected from the electronic medical record (EMR). HU adherence was evaluated using foetal haemoglobin "HbF%", mean corpuscular volume "MCV", and absolute neutrophil count "ANC". Age groups included children (<12 years), adolescents (12-17 years), and young adults (≥18 years). RESULTS: A total of 113 SCD patients on HU were included (median age 14 years, IQR 10-20; 50% female; 88% HbSS). Young adults had significantly higher HU adherence compared to adolescents and children, including higher median HbF% (24.2 vs. 12.4 vs. 8.6, p = .003), MCV (fl) (106.4 vs. 96.2 vs. 95.4, p = .01) and lower ANC (103/ml) (3.25 vs. 4.9 vs. 4.2, p = .01), respectively. Patients with chronic pain had lower HU adherence (HbF% 15.3 vs. 10.7, p = .04; ANC 3.6 vs. 6.3, p = .002; MCV 102.3 vs. 93.1, p = .1). Patients with higher HbF or MCV and lower ANC had significantly less frequent emergency room visits (rs=-0.26, p = .01; rs=-0.23, p = .01; rs=0.24, p = .01) and hospitalizations (rs=-0.27, p = .01; rs=-0.31, p = .01; rs=0.21, p = .02) as well as shorter length of stays (rs=-0.27, p = .0045; rs=-.34, p = 0.004; rs=0.23, p = .02), respectively. Similar trends in HU adherence and health care utilization were seen in subgroup analysis of only HbSS patients. There was no significant association of HU adherence to patients' sex, socio-economic status, distance from hospital, and HU duration. CONCLUSIONS: Young adults with SCD had significantly higher HU adherence compared to children and adolescents. Patients with lower HU adherence and/or chronic pain had increased health care utilization. Future studies examining barriers to adherence and evaluating interventions to optimize HU adherence in SCD are warranted.KEY MESSAGESYoung adults with SCD had significantly higher HU adherence, as reflected in their laboratory markers, compared to children and adolescents.Patients with higher HU adherence and/or those without chronic pain had lower or less frequent health care utilization.No significant association of HU adherence to patients' sex, socio-economic status and distance from hospital.

A systematic review of adherence to iron chelation therapy among children and adolescents with thalassemia.

INTRODUCTION: Iron chelation therapy (ICT) is essential to prevent complications of iron overload in patients with transfusion-dependent thalassaemia. However, there is currently no standard for how to best measure adherence to ICT, nor what level of adherence necessitates concern for poor outcomes, especially in paediatric patients. The objectives of this review are to identify rates of adherence to ICT, predictors of adherence, methods of measurement, and adherence-related health outcomes in children and adolescents. METHODS: This review covers the literature published between 1980 and 2020 on ICT in thalassaemia that assessed adherence or compliance. Included studies reflect original research. The preferred reporting items of systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed for reporting results, and the findings were critically appraised with the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine criteria. RESULTS: Of the 543 articles, 37 met the inclusion criteria. The most common methods of assessing adherence included patient self-report (n = 15/36, 41.7%), and pill count (n = 15/36, 41.7%), followed by subcutaneous medication monitoring (5/36, 13.8%) and prescription refills (n = 4/36, 11.1%). Study sizes ranged from 7 to 1115 participants. Studies reported adherence either in "categories" with different levels of adherence (n = 29) or "quantitatively" as a percentage of medication taken out of those prescribed (n = 7). Quantitatively, the percentage of adherence varied from 57% to 98.4% with a median of 89.5%. Five studies focussed on interventions, four of which were designed to improve adherence. Studies varied in sample size and methods of assessment, which prohibited performing a meta-analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Due to a lack of clinical consensus on how adherence is defined, it is difficult to compare adherence to ICT in different studies. Future studies should be aimed at creating guidelines for assessing adherence and identifying suboptimal adherence. These future efforts will be crucial in informing evidence-based interventions to improve adherence and health outcomes in thalassaemia patients.Key messagesPredictive factors associated with ICT adherence in the paediatric population include age, social perception of ICT, social support, and side effects/discomfort.Increased adherence in the paediatric population is associated with decreased serum ferritin and improved cardiac, hepatic, and endocrine outcomes.Inadequate adherence to ICT is associated with increased lifetime health costs.There are few studies that focussed on interventions to increase adherence in the paediatric population, and the studies that do exist all focussed on different types of interventions; successful interventions focussed on consistent, long-term engagement with patients.