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Pilot Randomized Trial of a Pharmacy Intervention for Older Adults with Cancer.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Oncology clinicians often struggle with managing medications and vaccinations in older adults with cancer. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of integrating pharmacists into the care of older adults with cancer to enhance medication management and vaccination administration. METHODS:We randomly assigned patients aged ?65 years with breast, gastrointestinal, or lung cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy to the pharmacy intervention or usual care. Patients assigned to the intervention met with a pharmacist once during their second or third chemotherapy infusion. We obtained information about patients' medications and vaccinations via patient report and from the electronic health record (EHR) at baseline and week 4. We determined the number of discrepant (difference between patient report and EHR) and potentially inappropriate (Beers Criteria assessed by nonintervention pharmacists blinded to group assignment) medications. We defined the intervention as feasible if >75% of patients enrolled in the study and received the pharmacist visit. RESULTS:From January 17, 2017, to October 27, 2017, we enrolled and randomized 60 patients (80.1% of patients approached). Among those assigned to the intervention, 96.6% received the pharmacist visit. At week 4, intervention patients had higher rates of acquiring vaccinations for pneumonia (27.6% vs. 0.0%, p = .002) and influenza (27.6% vs. 0.0%, p = .002) compared with usual care. Intervention patients had fewer discrepant (5.82 vs. 8.07, p = .094) and potentially inappropriate (3.46 vs. 4.80, p = .069) medications at week 4, although differences were not significant. CONCLUSION:Integrating pharmacists into the care of older adults with cancer is feasible with encouraging preliminary efficacy for enhancing medication management and improving vaccination rates. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE:Results of this study showed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an intervention integrating pharmacists into the care of older adults with cancer. Notably, patients assigned to the intervention had fewer discrepant medications and were more likely to acquire vaccinations for pneumonia and influenza. Importantly, this work represents the first randomized controlled trial involving the integration of pharmacists into the outpatient oncologic care of older adults with cancer. In the future, a larger randomized trial is needed to demonstrate the efficacy of this care model to enhance medication management and improve vaccination outcomes for older patients with cancer.

SUBMITTER: Nipp RD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6369952 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Pilot Randomized Trial of a Pharmacy Intervention for Older Adults with Cancer.

Nipp Ryan D RD Ruddy Margaret M Fuh Charn-Xin CX Zangardi Mark L ML Chio Christine C Kim E Bridget EB Li Barbara Kong Mui BKM Long Ying Y Blouin Gayle C GC Lage Daniel D Ryan David P DP Greer Joseph A JA El-Jawahri Areej A Temel Jennifer S JS

The oncologist 20181019 2

<h4>Background</h4>Oncology clinicians often struggle with managing medications and vaccinations in older adults with cancer. We sought to demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of integrating pharmacists into the care of older adults with cancer to enhance medication management and vaccination administration.<h4>Methods</h4>We randomly assigned patients aged ≥65 years with breast, gastrointestinal, or lung cancer receiving first-line chemotherapy to the pharmacy intervention or us ...[more]

PMID: 30341175

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Project description:BackgroundOncologists often struggle with managing the unique care needs of older adults with cancer. This study sought to determine the feasibility of delivering a transdisciplinary intervention targeting the geriatric-specific (physical function and comorbidity) and palliative care (symptoms and prognostic understanding) needs of older adults with advanced cancer.MethodsPatients aged ?65 years with incurable gastrointestinal or lung cancer were randomly assigned to a transdisciplinary intervention or usual care. Those in the intervention arm received 2 visits with a geriatrician, who addressed patients' palliative care needs and conducted a geriatric assessment. We predefined the intervention as feasible if >70% of eligible patients enrolled in the study and >75% of eligible patients completed study visits and surveys. At baseline and week 12, we assessed patients' quality of life (QoL), symptoms, and communication confidence. We calculated mean change scores in outcomes and estimated intervention effect sizes (ES; Cohen's d) for changes from baseline to week 12, with 0.2 indicating a small effect, 0.5 a medium effect, and 0.8 a large effect.ResultsFrom February 2017 through June 2018, we randomized 62 patients (55.9% enrollment rate [most common reason for refusal was feeling too ill]; median age, 72.3 years; cancer types: 56.5% gastrointestinal, 43.5% lung). Among intervention patients, 82.1% attended the first visit and 79.6% attended both. Overall, 89.7% completed all study surveys. Compared with usual care, intervention patients had less QoL decrement (-0.77 vs -3.84; ES = 0.21), reduced number of moderate/severe symptoms (-0.69 vs +1.04; ES = 0.58), and improved communication confidence (+1.06 vs -0.80; ES = 0.38).ConclusionsIn this pilot trial, enrollment exceeded 55%, and >75% of enrollees completed all study visits and surveys. The transdisciplinary intervention targeting older patients' unique care needs showed encouraging ES estimates for enhancing patients' QoL, symptom burden, and communication confidence.

Project description:OBJECTIVES:Community pharmacy continues to play a crucial role in the national response to the opioid epidemic. The purpose of this article is to describe the protocol for a pilot study that is examining the feasibility and acceptability of the Motivational Intervention-Medication Therapy Management (MI-MTM) model. This study also examines the preliminary clinical effect of MI-MTM for improving opioid medication misuse and patient activation in self-management of health conditions that increase risk for misuse. DESIGN:MI-MTM is a pharmacy-based integrated care model made up of 4 evidence-based practices: medication therapy management; brief motivational intervention; patient navigation; and naloxone training and referral. To test MI-MTM compared with Standard Medication Counseling (SMC), we are conducting a 2-group randomized single-blinded controlled trial with assessments at 3 time points. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS:The study is being conducted within a western Pennsylvania university-based community pharmacy with 46 patients with opioid misuse (MI-MTM = 23; SMC = 23). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Feasibility will be measured by capturing patient completion rate of MI-MTM sessions. Acceptability will be measured by administering satisfaction surveys regarding pharmacist and patient navigator services. Acceptability will also be captured by conducting intensive qualitative interviews. Preliminary effect of the intervention on misuse will be measured with the use of the Prescription Opioid Misuse Index and the Opioid Compliance Checklist. Activation in self-management will be measured with the use of the Patient Activation Measure. RESULTS:This project is currently recruiting, and results are to come. CONCLUSION:This study is the first in the United States to implement an evidence-based integrated behavioral intervention into the community pharmacy setting to address opioid medication misuse among pharmacy patients. The results of this study will provide necessary foundational data that allow further testing of this intervention model in a larger trial.

Project description:BackgroundOlder adults with gastrointestinal cancers undergoing surgery often experience poor outcomes, such as prolonged postoperative hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) use, hospital readmissions, and complications. Involvement of geriatricians in the care of older adults with cancer can improve outcomes. We conducted a randomized trial of a perioperative geriatric intervention (PERI-OP) in older patients with gastrointestinal cancer undergoing surgery.MethodsFrom 9/2016-4/2019, we randomly assigned patients age ≥ 65 with gastrointestinal cancer planning to undergo surgical resection to receive PERI-OP or usual care. Patients assigned to PERI-OP met with a geriatrician preoperatively in the outpatient setting and postoperatively as an inpatient consultant. The primary outcome was postoperative hospital LOS. Secondary outcomes included postoperative ICU use, 90-day hospital readmission rates, and complication rates. We conducted intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses.ResultsITT analyses included 137/160 patients who underwent surgery (usual care = 68/78, intervention = 69/82). PP analyses included the 68 usual care patients and the 30/69 intervention patients who received the preoperative and postoperative intervention components. ITT analyses demonstrated no significant differences between intervention and usual care in postoperative hospital LOS (7.23 vs 8.21 days, P = 0.374), ICU use (23.2% vs 32.4%, P = 0.257), 90-day hospital readmission rates (21.7% vs 25.0%, P = 0.690), or complication rates (17.4% vs 20.6%, P = 0.668). In PP analyses, intervention patients had shorter postoperative hospital LOS (5.90 vs 8.21 days, P = 0.024), but differences in ICU use (13.3% vs 32.4%, P = 0.081), 90-day hospital readmission rates (16.7% vs 25.0%, P = 0.439), and complication rates (6.7% vs 20.6%, P = 0.137) remained non-significant.ConclusionsIn this randomized trial, PERI-OP did not have a significant impact on postoperative hospital LOS, ICU use, hospital readmissions, or complications. However, the subgroup who received PERI-OP as planned experienced encouraging results. Future studies of PERI-OP should include efforts, such as telehealth, to ensure the intervention is delivered as planned.

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Pilot Randomized Trial of a Pharmacy Intervention for Older Adults with Cancer.

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Pilot Randomized Trial of a Pharmacy Intervention for Older Adults with Cancer.

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