Search

Background Most telephone quitlines provide free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). An 8-week course is recommended, but few users complete it. Information is needed to help quitlines distribute NRT cost-effectively. Design Randomised two-group trial. Setting/participants Colorado QuitLine callers who smoked 16-20 cigarettes per day at enrolment and who were eligible for and agreed to receive free NRT. Intervention Provision of 4-week versus 8-week NRT supply; the 8-week supply was shipped in halves and required participants to request the second half (split-shipment protocol). Enrolment occurred during March 2010-February 2011, follow-up concluded in November 2011, and analysis was performed in 2012. Main outcome measures Point abstinence (7 and 30 day) and prolonged abstinence (6 month) from tobacco use. Results Overall, 1495 study participants were enrolled and 57.7% completed follow-up. Abstinence rates did not differ significantly between study conditions: 13.8% versus 12.4% in 4-week versus 8-week arms, respectively, (30-day point abstinence, non-respondents treated as smokers). NRT duration was similar in both groups, due in part to purchase of additional patches in the 4-week group. About one-third of the 8-week group requested the full 8-week supply and had higher abstinence rates. Cost per quit was lower in the 4-week (compared to 8-week) group. Conclusions A randomised trial did not find worse cessation outcomes among quitline users who received half the minimum recommended course of NRT, but offering the full recommended course using a split-shipment protocol may be reasonably cost-effective and supportive of NRT adherers. Trial registration number NCT01889771. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY QUESTION Can one tablet containing aspirin, statin, and blood pressure lowering agents improve adherence and risk factor control compared with usual care of patients at high risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care? SUMMARY ANSWER Fixed dose combination treatment improved adherence to all the recommended drugs, but improvements in clinical risk factors were small and did not reach statistical significance. WHAT IS KNOWN AND WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS Two recent long term trials indicate large improvements in self reported adherence to the recommended drugs and modest improvements in risk factor control in high risk patients receiving fixed dose combination treatment. The main findings of this trial were consistent with those of the earlier trials, and acceptability for this treatment was high among general practitioners and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various aspects of using financial incentives to encourage people with psychosis to adhere to maintenance treatment with antipsychotics. It highlights evidence supporting the idea that financial incentives have a beneficial effect on adherence to healthcare treatments. The authors describe the study design including the composition and characteristics of study subjects.

The article discusses a multicentre, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled trial to determine whether 16 hour nicotine patches increase quit rate in pregnancy and birth weight compared with placebo patches. Participants included 476 women aged more than 18 between 12 and 20 weeks' gestation who smoked at least 5 cigarettes everyday and attended one of 23 maternity wards in France. It indicates uncertainty on whether other forms or nicotine replacement therapy will yield superior results.

The article investigates whether transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), as a patient-controlled adjunct to primary care management for tennis elbow, can solely provide superior pain relief to primary care management. Findings showed that TENS provided no additional clinical benefit over primary care management consisting of information and advice on analgesia and exercise for patients with tennis elbow, probably partly attributed to poor adherence to treatment suggestions.