It has been awhile since I have posted a "What I am Reading" or "What I have Found" post, so here you go. Some interesting stuff out there that sparked my interest.
From Reuter's Health, a report on Sex Bias in Control of Cancer Pain:
"How well pain is managed in people with cancer apparently differs between men and women, new research hints. Dr. Kristine A. Donovan, of the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida, and colleagues examined pain severity and the adequacy of pain management in 131 cancer patients newly referred to a multidisciplinary cancer pain clinic." Full Story
From LifeScript, a study that shows 1 in 5 Diabetics do not take their medication as prescribed. "Too many diabetics are neglecting to take life-saving prescription medicines regularly, one study warned. Published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the study estimated that 21% of diabetics fail to adhere to their prescription schedule." Full Story
Allan Showalter, MD from AlignMap discusses the Implications Of The Redundant Patient Compliance Review. I like to post abstracts and some compliance reviews, but his blog posts are always more insightful, biting and from an MD's perspective. Full Story
And lastly, from the International Journal of STD and AIDS: Factors associated with lack of antiretroviral adherence among adolescents in a reference centre in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Full Story.
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cancer. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Highlight HEALTH Cancer Research Blog Carnival - Stand Up To Cancer
This post will attempt to cover a host of topics, so I apologize if it rambles a bit.
First off I was very flattered today to be included in a Cancer Research Blog Carnival on Highlight HEALTH. I checked my email at 3 am while feeding Gray this morning and there was an email from Walter Jessen (author of Highlight HEALTH, neuro-oncology research scientist and bioinformatician) stating he included me in the Carnival.
This is significant for a few reasons:
1st: The Carnival is in support of Stand Up To Cancer a fundraiser tonight at 8 PM on ABC, NBC and CBS benefiting Cancer Research. “In 2008, over half a million Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. Nevertheless, since 2003 the U.S. government’s cancer research budget has been cut every single year”.
Matthew Zachary and Dr. Leonard Sender from I’m Too Young For This! will be in the front row, making sure their voice is heard, as there is barely any funding for young adult cancer research.
2nd: I never thought I would be included in a blog carnival, however my post was added because it is an abstract about a video game improving medical adherence in cancer patients. It made me wonder the reach and importance of my blog posts, and also made me think of what I am doing with this blog. My intentions have changed a few times since creating the blog last year, and they keep evolving each month.
3rd: I “met” Walter Jessen on Twitter. I don’t remember how exactly, but I was following someone who was following him, so I started following him and he reciprocated with a follow. We have communicated a few times over tweeets about various topics. I count this as one of the reasons I was included in the Carnival.
I have been working on a blog post about Twitter for health, and how I use it. This is a prime example. I never would have have crossed paths with Walter outside of Twitter – he is in Ohio and although in a somewhat related field, I probably would not have sought him out. I could have discovered his Highlight HEALTH blog, posted some comments and emailed him – but this still relates to social media and its importance in connecting people of like minds.
To further exalt Twitter, I have had a few “conversations” with MDs all over the country about medication adherence, hospital readmit rates, and other front line problems they face with patients. These communications would not have taken place without Twitter.
Another Twitter praise is for conference coverage. I cannot go to Medicine 2.0 in Toronto (started Wednesday), and there is a presentation by the NextHealth team I really want to see. Luckily I am following a few people who are there, and twittering the event. Of course I will read blog posts, see the Slideshare, and probably speak with the presenters next week, but Twitter brings an immediacy that I cannot find elsewhere.
Of course you can also mention the disaster coverage, and the DNC, RNC coverage – Twitter breaks all the news before others. But that is further off the topic.
In conclusion, I am very honored to be included in the Blog Carnival and hope to have something more substantial to add next time; watch and donate to Stand Up To Cancer and support I'm To Young For This!; and join the conversation on Twitter - you can follow me.
Here are Walter's final thoughts from his post on Highlight HEALTH:
The Cancer Research Blog Carnival is looking for future hosts. You can find both the hosting schedule and past editions at the Cancer Research Blog Carnival website .
For more information on the U.S. investment in cancer research, you can read the NCI’s plan and budget proposal for fiscal year 2009.
First off I was very flattered today to be included in a Cancer Research Blog Carnival on Highlight HEALTH. I checked my email at 3 am while feeding Gray this morning and there was an email from Walter Jessen (author of Highlight HEALTH, neuro-oncology research scientist and bioinformatician) stating he included me in the Carnival.
This is significant for a few reasons:
1st: The Carnival is in support of Stand Up To Cancer a fundraiser tonight at 8 PM on ABC, NBC and CBS benefiting Cancer Research. “In 2008, over half a million Americans are expected to die of cancer, more than 1,500 people a day. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 1 in every 4 deaths. Nevertheless, since 2003 the U.S. government’s cancer research budget has been cut every single year”.
Matthew Zachary and Dr. Leonard Sender from I’m Too Young For This! will be in the front row, making sure their voice is heard, as there is barely any funding for young adult cancer research.
2nd: I never thought I would be included in a blog carnival, however my post was added because it is an abstract about a video game improving medical adherence in cancer patients. It made me wonder the reach and importance of my blog posts, and also made me think of what I am doing with this blog. My intentions have changed a few times since creating the blog last year, and they keep evolving each month.
3rd: I “met” Walter Jessen on Twitter. I don’t remember how exactly, but I was following someone who was following him, so I started following him and he reciprocated with a follow. We have communicated a few times over tweeets about various topics. I count this as one of the reasons I was included in the Carnival.
I have been working on a blog post about Twitter for health, and how I use it. This is a prime example. I never would have have crossed paths with Walter outside of Twitter – he is in Ohio and although in a somewhat related field, I probably would not have sought him out. I could have discovered his Highlight HEALTH blog, posted some comments and emailed him – but this still relates to social media and its importance in connecting people of like minds.
To further exalt Twitter, I have had a few “conversations” with MDs all over the country about medication adherence, hospital readmit rates, and other front line problems they face with patients. These communications would not have taken place without Twitter.
Another Twitter praise is for conference coverage. I cannot go to Medicine 2.0 in Toronto (started Wednesday), and there is a presentation by the NextHealth team I really want to see. Luckily I am following a few people who are there, and twittering the event. Of course I will read blog posts, see the Slideshare, and probably speak with the presenters next week, but Twitter brings an immediacy that I cannot find elsewhere.
Of course you can also mention the disaster coverage, and the DNC, RNC coverage – Twitter breaks all the news before others. But that is further off the topic.
In conclusion, I am very honored to be included in the Blog Carnival and hope to have something more substantial to add next time; watch and donate to Stand Up To Cancer and support I'm To Young For This!; and join the conversation on Twitter - you can follow me.
Here are Walter's final thoughts from his post on Highlight HEALTH:
The Cancer Research Blog Carnival is looking for future hosts. You can find both the hosting schedule and past editions at the Cancer Research Blog Carnival website .
For more information on the U.S. investment in cancer research, you can read the NCI’s plan and budget proposal for fiscal year 2009.
Friday, August 1, 2008
A Video Game Improves Behavioral Outcomes in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer: A Randomized Trial
BONUS Medication adherence abstract! From the AAP:
OBJECTIVE.
Suboptimal adherence to self-administered medications is a common problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-game intervention for improving adherence and other behavioral outcomes for adolescents and young adults with malignancies including acute leukemia, lymphoma, and soft-tissue sarcoma.
METHODS.
A randomized trial with baseline and 1- and 3-month assessments was conducted from 2004 to 2005 at 34 medical centers in the United States, Canada, and Australia. A total of 375 male and female patients who were 13 to 29 years old, had an initial or relapse diagnosis of a malignancy, and currently undergoing treatment and expected to continue treatment for at least 4 months from baseline assessment were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group.
The intervention was a video game that addressed issues of cancer treatment and care for teenagers and young adults. Outcome measures included adherence, self-efficacy, knowledge, control, stress, and quality of life. For patients who were prescribed prophylactic antibiotics, adherence to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was tracked by electronic pill-monitoring devices (n = 200). Adherence to 6-mercaptopurine was assessed through serum metabolite assays (n = 54).
RESULTS.
Adherence to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 6-mercaptopurine was greater in the intervention group. Self-efficacy and knowledge also increased in the intervention group compared with the control group. The intervention did not affect self-report measures of adherence, stress, control, or quality of life.
CONCLUSIONS.
The video-game intervention significantly improved treatment adherence and indicators of cancer-related self-efficacy and knowledge in adolescents and young adults who were undergoing cancer therapy. The findings support current efforts to develop effective video-game interventions for education and training in health care.
OBJECTIVE.
Suboptimal adherence to self-administered medications is a common problem. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a video-game intervention for improving adherence and other behavioral outcomes for adolescents and young adults with malignancies including acute leukemia, lymphoma, and soft-tissue sarcoma.
METHODS.
A randomized trial with baseline and 1- and 3-month assessments was conducted from 2004 to 2005 at 34 medical centers in the United States, Canada, and Australia. A total of 375 male and female patients who were 13 to 29 years old, had an initial or relapse diagnosis of a malignancy, and currently undergoing treatment and expected to continue treatment for at least 4 months from baseline assessment were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group.
The intervention was a video game that addressed issues of cancer treatment and care for teenagers and young adults. Outcome measures included adherence, self-efficacy, knowledge, control, stress, and quality of life. For patients who were prescribed prophylactic antibiotics, adherence to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole was tracked by electronic pill-monitoring devices (n = 200). Adherence to 6-mercaptopurine was assessed through serum metabolite assays (n = 54).
RESULTS.
Adherence to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 6-mercaptopurine was greater in the intervention group. Self-efficacy and knowledge also increased in the intervention group compared with the control group. The intervention did not affect self-report measures of adherence, stress, control, or quality of life.
CONCLUSIONS.
The video-game intervention significantly improved treatment adherence and indicators of cancer-related self-efficacy and knowledge in adolescents and young adults who were undergoing cancer therapy. The findings support current efforts to develop effective video-game interventions for education and training in health care.
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