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Dayna S Alexander,1 Susan L Hogan,2 Joanne M Jordan,3 Robert F DeVellis,3 Delesha M Carpenter1 1UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Asheville, 2UNC Kidney Center, 3Thurston Arthritis Research Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA Abstract: The information–motivation–behavioral skills (IMB) model has been used to explain and promote medication adherence among patients with diabetes and HIV. The objective of this study was to examine whether the IMB model predicted medication adherence among vasculitis patients. Adult vasculitis patients (n=228) completed online questionnaires at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Linear regressions were calculated to determine the direct effects of information and motivation on medication adherence (P

Our goals were to describe the balance of social support to negative social interactions (i.e. social constraint) for autoimmune disease patients and determine whether support and constraint from spouses and non-spousal family and friends interact to influence patients’ psychological adjustment. Using cross-sectional survey data from 109 married vasculitis and lupus patients, we found that patients reported that spouses and family/friends provided more social support than social constraint. In regression models, constraint from spouses (β= −0.45, p

Objectives To describe the information about medication risks/benefits that rheumatologists provide during patient office visits, the gist that patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) extract from the information provided, and the relationship between communication and medication satisfaction. Methods Data from 169 RA patients were analyzed. Each participant had up to three visits audiotaped. Four RA patients coded the audiotapes using a Gist Coding Scheme and research assistants coded the audiotapes using a Verbatim Coding Scheme. Results When extracting gist from the information discussed during visits, patient coders distinguished between discussion concerning the possibility of medication side effects versus expression of significant safety concerns. Among patients in the best health, nearly 80% reported being totally satisfied with their medications when the physician communicated the gist that the medication was effective, compared to approximately 50% when this gist was not communicated. Conclusion Study findings underscore the multidimensional nature of medication risk communication and the importance of communication concerning medication effectiveness/need. Practice implications Health care providers should ensure that patients understand that medication self-management practices can minimize potential risks. Communicating simple gist messages may increase patient satisfaction, especially messages about benefits for well-managed patients. Optimal communication also requires shared understanding of desired therapeutic outcomes.

Objective We used a multidimensional framework to describe the types of information about medication risks that rheumatologists provide to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients during routine office visits. Methods We analyzed 1,094 audiotaped rheumatology office visits involving 450 RA patients. Each patient had up to 3 visits audiotaped. In conjunction with each office visit, patients also completed a self-administered questionnaire and interview and the rheumatologists provided ratings of patient health status. Results The number of medication risks discussed per visit ranged from 0–18, with a mean ± SD of 3.23 ± 2.93. The rheumatologist initiated ∼80% of the medication risk discussions. Approximately one-fourth of the discussions (25.6%) were limited to an assessment of whether or not the patient was experiencing a medication side effect. More risks were discussed during visits when changes to the patient's regimen were discussed than when no changes were discussed (X= 3.93, SD = 3.10 and X = 2.20, SD = 2.34, respectively; P < 0.0001). When medications were being proposed for addition to the patient's regimen, the most frequently discussed risk dimensions were the importance of monitoring (30%), probability (29.8%), things the patient should do to minimize risk (25.5%), and risk severity (21.8%). Conclusion Most discussions of medication risks that we observed were quite limited and often restricted to an assessment of whether the patient was experiencing side effects from their current medications. The amount of information that is optimal and how to tailor information to the preferences and abilities of individual patients remain important areas for future research.

HIV testing in prison settings has been identified as an important mechanism to detect cases among high-risk, underserved populations. Several public health organizations recommend that testing across health-care settings, including prisons, be delivered in an opt-out manner. However, implementation of opt-out testing within prisons may pose challenges in delivering testing that is informed and understood to be voluntary. In a large state prison system with a policy of voluntary opt-out HIV testing, we randomly sampled adult prisoners in each of seven intake prisons within two weeks after their opportunity to be HIV tested. We surveyed prisoners' perception of HIV testing as voluntary or mandatory and used multivariable statistical models to identify factors associated with their perception. We also linked survey responses to lab records to determine if prisoners' test status (tested or not) matched their desired and perceived test status. Thirty-eight percent (359/936) perceived testing as voluntary. The perception that testing was mandatory was positively associated with age less than 25 years (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 1.45, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24, 1.71) and preference that testing be mandatory (aRR: 1.81, 95% CI: 1.41, 2.31) but negatively associated with entry into one of the intake prisons (aRR: 0.41 95% CI: 0.27, 0.63). Eighty-nine percent of prisoners wanted to be tested, 85% were tested according to their wishes, and 82% correctly understood whether or not they were tested. Most prisoners wanted to be HIV tested and were aware that they had been tested, but less than 40% understood testing to be voluntary. Prisoners' understanding of the voluntary nature of testing varied by intake prison and by a few individual-level factors. Testing procedures should ensure that opt-out testing is informed and understood to be voluntary by prisoners and other vulnerable populations.

Hope is a future expectancy characterized by an individual's perception that a desirable future outcome can be achieved. Though scales exist to measure hope, they may have limited relevance in low resource, high HIV prevalence settings. We developed and validated a hope scale among young women living in rural South Africa. We conducted formative interviews to identify the key elements of hope. Using items developed from these interviews, we administered the hope scale to 2533 young women enrolled in an HIV-prevention trial. Women endorsed scale items highly and the scale proved to be unidimensional in the sample. Hope scores were significantly correlated with hypothesized psycholosocial correlates with the exception of life stressors. Overall, our hope measure was found to have excellent reliability and to show encouraging preliminary indications of validity in this population. This study presents a promising measure to assess hope among young women in South Africa.

Little is known about factors associated with the receipt of medication information among arthritis patients. This study explores information source receipt and associations between demographic and clinical/patient characteristics and the amount of arthritis medication information patients receive. Adult patients with osteoarthritis (OA) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA; n = 328) completed an online cross-sectional survey. Patients reported demographic and clinical/patient characteristics and the amount of arthritis medication information received from 15 information sources. Bivariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were used to investigate whether those characteristics were associated with the amount of medication information patients received. Arthritis patients received the most information from health professionals, followed by printed materials, media sources, and interpersonal sources. Greater receipt of information was associated with greater medication adherence, taking more medications, greater medication-taking concerns, more satisfaction with doctor medication-related support, and Black compared to White race. RA patients reported receiving more information compared to OA patients, and differences were found between RA patients and OA patients in characteristics associated with more information receipt. In conclusion, arthritis patients received the most medication information from professional sources, and both positive (e.g., greater satisfaction with doctor support) and negative (e.g., more medication-taking concerns) characteristics were associated with receiving more medication information.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the attentional coping styles (monitoring and blunting) of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients and: (a) receipt of medication information; (b) receipt of conflicting medication information; (c) ambiguity aversion; (d) medication-related discussions with doctors and spouse/partners; and (e) medication adherence. Method: A sample of 328 adults with a self-reported diagnosis of arthritis (RA n=159; OA n=149) completed an Internet-based survey. Coping style was assessed using the validated short version of the Miller Behavioral Style Scale. Measures related to aspects of medication information receipt and discussion and validated measures of ambiguity aversion and medication adherence (Vasculitis Self-Management Survey) were collected. Pearson correlation coefficients, ANOVA, independent samples t-tests and multiple regression models were used to assess associations between coping style and the other variables of interest. Results: Arthritis patients in our sample were more likely to be high monitors (50%) than high blunters (36%). Among RA patients, increased information-receipt was significantly associated with decreased monitoring (b = -1.06, p = .001). Among OA patients, increased information-receipt was significantly associated with increased blunting (b = .60, p = .02). Conclusion: In our sample of patients with arthritis, attentional coping style is not in accordance with the characteristic patterns outlined in the acute and chronic disease coping literature.

BACKGROUND Concurrent sexual partnerships (partnerships that overlap in time) may contribute to higher rates of HIV transmission in African Americans. Attitudes toward a behavior constitute an important component of most models of health-related behavior and behavioral change. We have developed a scale, employing realistic vignettes that appear to reliably measure attitudes about concurrency in young African American adults. METHODS Vignette-based items to assess attitudes about concurrency were developed following focus groups and cognitive testing of items adapted from existing scales assessing psychosocial constructs surrounding related sexual behaviors. The new items were included in a telephone survey of African American adults (18-34 years old) in Eastern North Carolina immediately before and after a radio campaign designed to discourage concurrency. We performed an exploratory factor analysis on each sample (pre- and post-campaign) to cross-validate results. We retained factors with a primary loading of ≥0.50 and no secondary loading >0.30. Cronbach's coefficient alpha was used to evaluate internal reliability. Associations in the predicted direction between the mean responses to items on the final factor and known correlates of concurrency validated the scale. RESULTS Factor analysis in a random pre-campaign subsample yielded a one-factor 6-item scale with acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.79). As expected, the attitude factor was positively associated with participation in concurrent partnerships, whether assessed by self-report (r = 0.298, p

Osteoarthritis (OA) places a significant burden on worldwide public health because of the large and growing number of people affected by OA and its associated pain and disability. Pain coping skills training (PCST) is an evidence-based intervention targeting OA pain and disability. To reduce barriers that currently limit access to PCST, we developed an 8-week, automated, Internet-based PCST program called PainCOACH and evaluated its potential efficacy and acceptability in a small-scale, 2-arm randomized controlled feasibility trial. Participants were 113 men and women with clinically confirmed hip or knee OA and associated pain. They were randomized to a group completing PainCOACH or an assessment-only control group. Osteoarthritis pain, pain-related interference with functioning, pain-related anxiety, self-efficacy for pain management, and positive and negative affect were measured before intervention, midway through the intervention, and after intervention. Findings indicated high acceptability and adherence: 91% of participants randomized to complete PainCOACH finished all 8 modules over 8 to 10 weeks. Linear mixed models showed that, after treatment, women who received the PainCOACH intervention reported significantly lower pain than that in women in the control group (Cohen d = 0.33). Intervention effects could not be tested in men because of their low pain and small sample size. Additionally, both men and women demonstrated increases in self-efficacy from baseline to after intervention compared with the control group (d = 0.43). Smaller effects were observed for pain-related anxiety (d = 0.20), pain-related interference with functioning (d = 0.13), negative affect (d = 0.10), and positive affect (d = 0.24). Findings underscore the value of continuing to develop an automated Internet-based approach to disseminate this empirically supported intervention.

We describe the medication information-seeking behaviors of arthritis patients' partners and explore whether partner medication information-seeking and information-sharing are associated with patient medication adherence.Arthritis patients and their partners (n = 87 dyads) completed an on-line questionnaire. Partners indicated how often they obtained medication information from 14 sources, how much they trusted these sources, and whether they shared medication information with the patient. Patients reported their medication adherence. Bivariate associations were calculated to explore the relationships between partner information-seeking, information-sharing, and patient medication adherence.Partners sought little information about the patient's medications. Partners sought more information if the patient's medication regimen was more complex (r = 0.33, p = 0.002). Most partners (∼ 98%) shared medication information with the patient; older partners shared more information with the patient (r = 0.25, p = 0.03). Neither partner information-seeking (r = 0.21, p = 0.06) nor partner information-sharing (r = 0.12, p = 0.31) were significantly associated with patient medication adherence.Although partners of arthritis patients do not seek large amounts of medication information, the vast majority share this information with the patient.Involving partners in medical consultations can help them better understand the patient's medications, have questions answered by providers, and engage in more informed discussions with patients about their medications.

Health literacy has been found to be a crucial component of successful communication and navigation in health care. Various tools have been developed to measure health literacy skills, but few have been developed specifically for adolescents, and most require in-person administration. This study sought to develop a self-report health literacy scale for adolescents to assess four key health literacy domains: the ability to obtain, communicate, understand, and process health information.We collected data from 272 youth aged 12-19 recruited from a pediatrics clinic (37%) and the community (63%). We administered the Rapid Estimate of Adolescent Literacy in Medicine-Teen, Newest Vital Sign, and three surveys, and used factor analysis to identify scale items.Using multiple health literacy assessments, it was clear that many teens struggle with low health literacy skills. When identifying items that can be used as self-report items in future research, factor analysis identified three subscales; a 5-itemSelf-report items can be used to assess health literacy skills for adolescents when in-person administration is not possible or feasible. Such items will allow for greater study of how health literacy impacts communication in not only health care settings, but for all levels of health communication. The tool will also allow researchers to better understand how adolescent health literacy is related to a variety of health outcomes. Further testing of these scales with different populations is warranted.