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Background: There is a lack of research on the nature of drug-related problems (DRPs) in older adult communities in China and the impact of home medication review on DRP reduction and health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) improvement.Objectives: To identify and categorize DRPs in older adults in China and to assess the impact of home medication review.Methods: The prospective study was conducted in 2 community health service centers in Shanghai, China from December 2018 to December 2019. Eligible patients received a home medication review by a clinical pharmacist to assess for DRPs and adherence, propose pharmaceutical interventions, and measure outcomes of HRQoL. All enrolled patients were followed up for 3 months.Results: Medication use in 412 patients was analyzed. A total of 362 DRPs were identified, an average of 0.88 per patient. Treatment effectiveness was the primary DRP type (249; 68.8%). The most common causes of DRPs were patient-related (35.1%) and drug selection (31.0%). Pharmacists made 733 interventions, an average of 2 per DRP. A total of 82.1% of these interventions were accepted. At a 3-month follow-up, home medication review led to a statistically significant reduction in the mean number of DRPs (0.4 vs. 0.88, P < 0.001) and an increase in medication adherence (1.42 vs. 0.85, P < 0.001). Both HRQoL indicators also improved, EuroQol 5 Dimension scale (0.75 vs. 0.78, P < 0.001) and EuroQol-visual analog scale (70 vs. 77.65, P < 0.001).Conclusion: Home medication review is a practical means to optimize drug therapy and improve patients' HRQoL in community settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to determine whether surgery for patients with spinal metastasescould improve the quality of remaining life and prolong survival. METHODS: In total, 96 patients who had spinal metastases were recruited from Changzheng Hospital at the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China, overthe period from July 2007 to June 2009. The patients received treatments with or without spinal surgery (surgerygroup, n = 46 patients; nonsurgery group, n = 50 patients), and all patients received adjuvant therapies according totheir original cancer and individual conditions. Patients' quality of life (QOL) was assessed at 5 time points-at theinitial diagnosis (baseline) and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months of followup-using theFunctional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General QOL questionnaire. Information on survival also was collected.RESULTS: Sixty-seven of 96 patients completed all 5 follow-up assessments, including 33 patients in the surgerygroup and 34 patients in the nonsurgery group. The other 29 patients died within 9 months after the initial diagnosis.At the end of the study (June 2009), 22 patients (47.8%) remained alive in the surgery group, and with 16 patients(32%) remained alive in the nonsurgery group. The surgery group had significantly higher total QOL scores, physicalwell being scores, emotional well being scores, and functional well being scores than the nonsurgery group over the9-month assessment period. There was no statistically significant difference in survival between the 2 groups (P =.056). CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated that surgical treatment greatly improved and maintained the QOL of patients who had spinal metastases over the 9-month assessment period and that surgery is an effectivetreatment for spinal metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]