Interest and competence in leadership and management among newly qualified specialists in Finland.

BACKGROUND: Medical faculties in Finland are responsible for the quality and content of continuous medical education programmes that also includes compulsory management studies (10 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System). The aim of this study is to evaluate medical specialists' experiences of the compulsory management studies and their attitudes towards leaders and managers. METHODS: The Universities of Turku and Tampere conducted a survey among doctors who completed their specialist training between 1 January 2016 and 1 January 2019. Of these doctors, 83 completed the survey (response rate 25%). The analysis was carried out using a cross-table, and in the visual analysis, a box plot has been used. RESULTS: Of the respondents, 38% were content with management and leadership studies, and they reported a particular need for improving skills in human resources management, healthcare economy, legislation, organisational management, and social and healthcare systems. Most respondents (83%) showed interest in future leadership roles. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study show that newly qualified doctors do wish for added education and training in management and leadership.

Successful Curriculum Change in Health Management and Leadership Studies for the Specialist Training Programs in Medicine in Finland.

In Finland, the specialization programs in Medicine and Dentistry can be undertaken at all five university medical faculties in 50 specialization programs and in five programs for Dentistry. The specialist training requires 5 or 6 years (300-360 ECTS credits) of medical practice including 9 months of service in primary health care centers, theoretical substance specific education, management studies, and passing a national written exam. The renovation of the national curriculum for the specialization programs was implemented, first in 2008 and officially in August 2009, when theoretical multi-professional social, health management and leadership studies (10-30 ECTS credits) were added to the curriculum. According to European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), 1 ECTS credit (henceforth, simply "ECTS") means 27-30 h of academic work National guidelines for the multi-professional leadership training include the basics of organizational management and leadership, the social and healthcare system, human resources (HR) management, leadership interaction and organizational communication, healthcare economy, legislation (HR) and data management. Each medical faculty has implemented management studies autonomously but according to national guidelines. This paper will describe how the compulsory management studies (10 ECTS) have been executed at the Universities of Tampere and Turku. In Tampere, the 10 ECTS management studies follow a flexible design of six academic modules. Versatile modern teaching methods such as technology-assisted and student orientated learning are used. Advanced supplementary management studies (20 ECTS) are also available. In Turku, the 10 ECTS studies consist of academic lectures, portfolio and project work. Attendees select contact studies (4-6 ECTS) from yearly available 20 ECTS and proceed at their own pace. Portfolio and project comprise 2-5 ECTS each. The renovation of medical specializing physicians' management and leadership education has been a successful reform. It has been observed that positive attitudes and interest toward management overall are increasing among younger doctors. In addition, management and leadership education will presumably facilitate medical doctors' work as managers also. Continuous development of medical doctors' management and leadership education for physicians and dentists is needed while the changing and complex healthcare environment requires both professional and leadership expertise.

Predictors of first-year statin medication discontinuation: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The discontinuation of statin medication is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events and, among high-risk patients, all-cause mortality, but the reasons for discontinuation among statin initiators in clinical practice are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE: To examine factors predicting the early discontinuation of statin therapy. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, participants with baseline measurements before the initiation of statin treatment were linked to national registers and followed for the discontinuation of statins during the first year of treatment (no filled prescriptions after statin initiation within the subsequent 12 months). RESULTS: Of all the 9285 statin initiators, 12% (n = 1142) were discontinuers. Obesity, overweight, vascular comorbidities, and older age were independently associated with a reduced risk of discontinuation [odds ratios (OR) = 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69-0.99), 0.85 (95% CI, 0.73-0.98), 0.80 (95% CI, 0.68-0.93), and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.68-0.99), respectively]. In contrast, high-patient cost-sharing was associated with an increased odds (OR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.03-1.62) for discontinuation. The only significant difference between the sexes (P = .002) was observed among the participants with risky alcohol use, which was associated with a decreased odds for discontinuation among the men (OR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.49-0.98) and an increased odds among the women (OR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.02-1.62). CONCLUSIONS: The discontinuation of statin therapy during the first year after initiation is common. Lowering out-of-pocket expenditures and focusing on low-risk patient groups and women with risky alcohol use could help maintain the continuation of medication.

Influence of Retirement on Adherence to Statins in the Insurance Medicine All-Sweden Total Population Data Base.

BACKGROUND: Retirement has been suggested to reduce medication adherence, but no evidence is available for statins. We investigated changes in adherence to statins among Swedish adults after retirement. METHODS: A prospective cohort study was carried out on all individuals living in Sweden on 31 December 2004, alive in 2010, having purchased statins in the second half of 2005, and retired in 2008 (n=11 718). We used prescription dispensing data in 2006-2010 to determine nonadherence (defined as <80% of days covered by filled prescriptions) before and after old-age or disability retirement. Using multiple repeat measurements of filled statin prescriptions, we calculated the annual prevalence rates of nonadherence for those who continued therapy. Discontinuation was defined as no statin dispensations during a calendar year. RESULTS: After adjustment for age at retirement, the prevalence ratio (PR) of nonadherence after retirement in comparison with those before retirement was 1.23 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17-1.29] for the men and 1.19 (95% CI 1.13-1.26) for the women. A post-retirement increase in nonadherence was consistently observed across the strata of age at retirement, marital status, education, income, type of retirement, and participants with and without cardiovascular disease, the largest increases being observed for statin use in secondary prevention (men: PR 1.38, 95% CI 1.26-1.54; women: PR 1.43, 1.18-1.72). For primary prevention, the corresponding prevalence ratios were 1.18 (95% CI 1.13‒1.25) and 1.18 (95% CI 1.11-1.24), respectively. INTERPRETATION: Retirement appears to be associated with increased nonadherence to statin therapy among Swedish men and women.

Lifestyle factors as predictors of nonadherence to statin therapy among patients with and without cardiovascular comorbidities.

BACKGROUND: Easily detectable predictors of nonadherence to long-term drug treatment are lacking. We investigated the association between lifestyle factors and nonadherence to statin therapy among patients with and without cardiovascular comorbidities. METHODS: We included 9285 participants from the Finnish Public Sector Study who began statin therapy after completing the survey. We linked their survey data with data in national health registers. We used prescription dispensing data to determine participants' nonadherence to statin therapy during the first year of treatment (defined as < 80% of days covered by filled prescriptions). We used logistic regression to estimate the association of several lifestyle factors with nonadherence, after adjusting for sex, age and year of statin initiation. RESULTS: Of the participants without cardiovascular comorbidities (n = 6458), 3171 (49.1%) were nonadherent with their statin therapy. Obesity (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.74-0.99), overweight (adjusted OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98) and former smoking (adjusted OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.74-0.92) predicted a reduced risk of nonadherence in this group after adjustment for sex, age and year of statin initiation. Of the participants with cardiovascular comorbidities (n = 2827), 1155 (40.9%) were nonadherent. In this group, high alcohol consumption (adjusted OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12-2.15), extreme drinking occasions (adjusted OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.11-1.97) and a cluster of 3-4 lifestyle risks (adjusted OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.15-2.27) predicted increased odds of nonadherence after adjustment for sex, age and year of statin initiation. INTERPRETATION: People with cardiovascular comorbidities who had risky drinking behaviours or a cluster of lifestyle risks were at increased risk of nonadherence. Among individuals without cardiovascular comorbidities, information on lifestyle factors was unhelpful in identifying those at increased risk of nonadherence; that overweight, obesity and former smoking were predictors of better adherence in this group provides insight into mechanisms of adherence to preventive medication that deserve further study.

Pattern of statin use among 10 cohorts of new users from 1995 to 2004: a register-based nationwide study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze differences in the pattern of statin use among 10 consecutive yearly cohorts of new users in Finland. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study based on administrative claims data. METHODS: New users of statins from January 1, 1995, to December 31, 2004, were captured from a nationwide prescription register, and the pattern of statin use was observed until December 31, 2005. The association between year of statin initiation and persistence with statin therapy during the first year of statin use was modeled using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis with multivariable adjustment. The median adherence (proportion of days covered) was computed among patients who discontinued therapy during each 365-day interval since statin initiation. RESULTS: In total, 490,024 new users of statins were identified. In the multivariable-adjusted model, discontinuation during the first year among initiators of statin use in 1996 and 1997 was similar to that in 1995 (hazard ratio [HR], 0.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.95-1.03 in 1996; and HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98-1.05 in 1997). Compared with the 1995 cohort, the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 cohorts were less likely to discontinue statin use. Hazard ratios of discontinuation for the cohorts ranged from 0.91 (95% CI, 0.88-0.94) in 1998 to 0.80 (95% CI, 0.78-0.83) in 2004. There were no differences in adherence with respect to the duration of therapy among the yearly cohorts. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the 1995 cohort, 1-year persistence with statin therapy in Finland improved among new users of statins in 1998, and the improvement persisted up to 2004. Adherence to statin therapy remained stable among initiators from 1995 to 2004.

Selective prescribing of simvastatin and atorvastatin by patient characteristics at treatment initiation over a 7-year period in Finland.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate preferential initiation with the two most frequently used statins, simvastatin and atorvastatin, by patient characteristics over time. METHODS: Statin initiators without a statin prescription during the 365 days preceding the initiation from 1 January 1998 through 31 December 2004 were captured from the nation-wide Prescription Register in Finland. Associations of demographic factors and morbidities with atorvastatin versus simvastatin at initiation of statin treatment were analysed by a logistic regression model adjusted for significant covariates separately for each year. RESULTS: Of all new statin users in 1998, atorvastatin was chosen for 18% and simvastatin for 39%. In 2004, the corresponding figures were 32 and 38%. Atorvastatin was more likely than simvastatin to be initiated in younger age groups than in persons older than 74 years (reference group). Initiation with atorvastatin was less likely for people with than without coronary artery disease; adjusted odds ratios ranged from 0.62 to 0.73 over the years 1998-2003. CONCLUSION: Channelling of atorvastatin over simvastatin toward the younger and healthier population was found during the first 4 years after its launch in Finland. Channelling may lead to confounding by indication, which must be taken into account when designing pharmacoepidemiology studies on statins.

Long-term persistence with statin therapy: a nationwide register study in Finland.

BACKGROUND: Preventive statin therapy is often recommended as lifelong treatment. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze persistence with statin therapy over a decade of use and to identify factors associated with its discontinuation. METHODS: Persistence with therapy among new users of statins in 1995 was followed up until December 31, 2005, in Finland using the nationwide drug reimbursement register. Cumulative persistence was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. A Cox regression model was applied to analyze associations of various baseline covariates with discontinuation. We further modeled the association of time-specific covariates by stratifying the duration of therapy in years and using a logistic regression in which those continuing therapy until the end of follow-up (persistent users) formed the reference group. Adherence, defined as the proportion of days covered by statins, stratified by the timing of discontinuation, was computed for the respective groups. RESULTS: Of the 18,072 new statin users, 73.3% (n =13,254) were aged >54 years and 54.8% (n =9908) were men. Of this cohort, 43.9% (n = 7926) were using statins throughout and at the end of the tenth year. Sex was not associated with persistence at any point. In the Cox model, persons aged 45 to 74 years at initiation were more likely to continue statin use than younger or older age groups. Among those who still used statins after the fifth year of observation, the age difference was not observed in the logistic regression model. The use of 1, 2, 3, or > or =4 cardiovascular drugs before the initiation predicted continuation relative to no cardiovascular drug use (hazard ratio for discontinuation significantly <1.00 in all comparisons). Adherence was best (median 93.9%) among the persistent users. CONCLUSIONS: The 10-year persistence with statin use in this general population was approximately 44%. Persons aged 45 to 74 years at initiation and those with at least 1 prescription for another cardiovascular medication were the most likely to continue statin therapy up to the fifth year.