Secondary Event Prevention Using Population Risk Management After PCI and for Anti-Rheumatic Medications (SEPPRMACI-ARM)

October 30, 2023 updated by: VA Office of Research and Development

Secondary Event Prevention Using Population Risk Management After PCI

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and its treatment carry profound public health and economic implications. Among Veterans, IHD represents one of the most common causes of death and disability, with over 500,000 affected individuals' annually. Rheumatic disease, though far less common than IHD can affect multiple organ systems and requires therapies costing in excess of $50,000 a year. Optimal treatment of Veterans with IHD and rheumatic disease requires a number of medications to maintain or improve health. Not taking medications as prescribed, however, is common and increases the risk of subsequent adverse events (cardiac death and myocardial infarction [MI]).

To improve medication adherence rates and the cardiac health of Veterans with IHD, the investigators propose to test a medication adherence intervention. Known as VA SEPPRMACI-ARM (Secondary Event Prevention using Population Risk Management After PCI and for Anti-Rheumatic Medications), this intervention will consist of: proactive real-time adherence monitoring of patients and targeting of individuals if they have not refilled their medication a given number of days after it was due for refill. The intervention will employ a tailored, escalating-intensity approach which begins with some combination of personalized short messaging service (SMS) text messages and interactive voice response (IVR) telephone technology, depending on patient preference. Patients not completing SMS and then IVR by not refilling their medication (or declining SMS and not completing IVR) escalate to a trained research interventionalist. The interventionalist will contact the patient and address adherence barriers based on the dimensions outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) that are specific to each patient. The investigators will test the intervention on IHD patients who have recently undergone PCI-a cardiac procedure commonly used among IHD patients to improve the heart's blood flow and in patients starting anti-rheumatic medication. The investigators will test the intervention at four VA Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories (CCLs) and have 12 sites serving as usual care controls.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) and rheumatic diseases are both pervasive, expensive, and results in grave health consequences. IHD affects an estimated 15.4 million Americans 20 years of age-representing 6.4% of the adult population. The direct and indirect cost of IHD has been estimated at $195.2 billion, with a doubling of cost projected by 2030.5 Similarly, the direct cost to the U.S. workforce for rheumatoid arthritis alone approaches $5.8 billion yearly.

Widely-accepted national evidence-based guidelines support the use of cardio-protective medications to reduce the risk of adverse consequences resulting from IHD and disease modifying anti-rheumatic medications (DMARDs) to reduce the risk of adverse consequence in rheumatic diseases. For example, numerous rigorously conducted randomized trials show that statins improve outcomes and reduce mortality in patients with established cardiovascular disease (i.e., secondary prevention), including those undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). The use of statins and beta-blockers have been repeatedly demonstrated to be cost-effective in lowering cardiovascular event (CVE) rates, in part by their effects on cholesterol, and blood pressure, respectively. Accordingly, the most recent VA performance measures and American Heart Association guidelines encourage the use of statins in patients with atherosclerotic disease; beta-blockers in subjects with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction less than 40%), prior MI, or blood pressure of 140/90 or greater; and clopidogrel following any acute coronary syndrome (ACS) or PCI with stent. The rheumatology literature provides similar evidence for the benefit of DMARDs in rheumatic diseases, and guidelines strongly endorse their use.

Unfortunately, non-adherence to medications is common, and increases the risk of poor outcomes. The investigators' 2011 national preliminary data from VA cardiac catheterization laboratories (CCLs) demonstrate that over 6300 patients experienced at least one refill gap of >= 7 days for statins in the year following PCI. The mean proportion of days covered (PDC) for these patients was only 75%-below the PDC threshold of 80% that typical defines adherent patients, based on the empiric evidence for effectiveness of medications at this cut-point. Non-adherent patients were present at all CCLs without substantial variation in mean PDC by center, suggesting a global problem.

Systematic problems underlie and contribute to non-adherence to medications. Usual care of IHD and rheumatic disease patients is encumbered by systematic deficiencies including: passive monitoring (contact with patients only when initiated by the patient) and inefficiency (time-consuming patient-by-patient approach, rather than through population management). The proposed intervention addresses both the complex patient-specific factors (emphasizing forgetfulness and carelessness) and the systematic inadequacies using a multi-modal, escalating approach.

Objectives

  1. To assess the effectiveness of a multi-faceted patient-centered intervention versus usual care in improving medication adherence as measured by proportion of days covered (PDC, primary outcome). This will be tested among IHD patients for statins, beta-blockers and clopidogrel in the year after PCI and among rheumatology clinic patients chronically prescribed DMARDs. Hypothesis: The PDC for patients in the intervention arm will exceed the PDC for the usual care arm by a 10% absolute difference.
  2. (Secondary outcome): To determine the effectiveness of a multi-faceted patient-centered intervention versus usual care in reducing secondary CVEs (myocardial infarction [MI], repeat revascularization [PCI or coronary bypass graft], and all-cause mortality) among IHD patients at 18 months post-PCI and progressive erosive disease demonstrated on plain film radiographs in patients with rheumatic diseases (i.e. "radiographic progression"). Hypothesis: The rate of CVEs and radiographic progression will be 5% relatively lower for patients in the intervention arm compared with usual care.
  3. (Secondary outcome): To establish the cost to implement and maintain the intervention, above the cost of usual care, as well as the incremental cost effectiveness (ICE; e.g. cost to achieve at 10% improvement in PDC; cost per CVE prevented). Hypothesis: This aim does not posit a hypothesis as the objective is descriptive. The available funding for this project limits this outcome to IHD patients (no rheumatic disease patients will be analyzed according to cost).

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

5269

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Puerto Rico
      • San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00921
        • VA Caribbean Healthcare System, San Juan, PR
  • United States
    • California
      • San Francisco, California, United States, 94121
        • San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA
    • Colorado
      • Aurora, Colorado, United States, 80045
        • Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201
        • Baltimore VA Medical Center VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD
    • North Carolina
      • Durham, North Carolina, United States, 27705
        • Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, NC

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 95 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Patients will qualify for inclusion if they:

  1. Undergo PCI or are prescribed a DMARD.

  2. Are prescribed any of the following medications:

    [for the IHD intervention]

    • Statin
    • Beta-blocker
    • Thienopyridines (dual platelet inhibitors)

    [for the DMARD intervention]

    • Oral methotrexate
    • Sulfasalazine
    • Azathioprine
    • Leflunomide
    • Tofacitinib
    • Hydroxychloroquine [Note: as a study focused on adherence, the investigators will NOT address the appropriateness of prescribed medications, which is an important, but separate issue]
  3. Receive their care from the VA. This is defined by the presence of a VA-assigned-PCP in the year prior to PCI or in the year following PCI (IHD intervention) or in the year prior to or following index DMARD prescription (rheumatic disease intervention).

Exclusion Criteria:

Patients will be excluded under the following circumstances:

  • Undergoing only diagnostic (non-interventional) catheterization
  • Receive their index medicines (listed in item above) from a non-VA source
  • Discharge to nursing home or skilled nursing facility
  • Individuals with impaired decision making capacity
  • Prisoners
  • Pregnant women
  • The terminally ill

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental Group
This group will undergo the intervention as described in the protocol
Other: Caplan IVR
This intervention will consist of: proactive real-time adherence monitoring of patients and targeting of individuals only when they have exhibited non-adherence behavior (i.e., if patients have not refilled their medication more than 4 or 7 days after it was due to be refilled). The intervention will employ a tailored, escalating-intensity approach which begins with some combination of personalized short messaging service (SMS) text messages and interactive voice response (IVR) telephone technology, depending on patient preference. Patients failing SMS and then IVR by not refilling their medication (or declining SMS and failing IVR) escalate to a trained research interventionalist (typically, a clinical pharmacist). The interventionalist will contact the patient and address adherence barriers based on the dimensions outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO) that are specific to each patient.
No Intervention: Control Group
This group will not receive the intervention, they will receive usual care

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Proportion of Days Covered (PDC)
Time Frame: 1 year
Proportion of Days Covered (PDC) is measured by looking at the number of doses of medication a patient has versus days in the month (if a patient has 20 days of medication for a 30 day period their PDC is 20/30, 2/3, or 66.7%). Used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention, PDC will be tested among IHD patients in the year after PCI and among rheumatology clinic patients chronically prescribed DMARDs.
1 year

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cardiovascular Events (CVE)
Time Frame: 1 year
Cardiovascular Events (CVEs) such as mortality, myocardial infarction, stroke, or repeat revascularization among IHD patients at 12 months post-PCI and progressive erosive disease demonstrated in patients with rheumatic disease will be monitored. CVEs will be monitored to determine if there is a reduction in the occurrence of those events as a result of the intervention.
1 year
Incremental Cost Effectiveness (ICE)
Time Frame: through study completion, an average of 1 year
To establish the cost to implement and maintain the intervention, above the cost of usual care. Incremental Cost Effectiveness (ICE) is the cost to achieve a 10% improvement in PDC, and the cost of CVE prevented.
through study completion, an average of 1 year

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

VA Office of Research and Development

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Liron Caplan, MD PhD, Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

October 1, 2016

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 31, 2019

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 29, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

February 16, 2016

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 23, 2016

First Posted (Estimated)

February 29, 2016

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 2, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 30, 2023

Last Verified

October 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • IIR 14-048
  • 16-1419 (Other Identifier: CIRB)
  • 1I01HX001604-01A2 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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