Barriers to cancer pain management in Danish and Lithuanian patients treated in pain and palliative care units.

The prevalence of cancer-related pain is high despite available guidelines for the effective assessment and management of that pain. Barriers to the use of opioid analgesics partially cause undertreatment of cancer pain. The aim of this study was to compare pain management outcomes and patient-related barriers to cancer pain management in patient samples from Denmark and Lithuania.

Optimal duration of combined psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for patients with moderate and severe depression: a meta-analysis.

Background: To investigate the most effective duration of combined psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy for achieving remission and preventing relapse in depressive patients as compared to pharmacotherapy alone.

Methods: A systematic review of English articles using PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and PsychINFO was performed in September 2009. Clinical studies comparing pharmacotherapy alone with pharmacotherapy in combination with a psychological intervention for depression treatment that reported response, remission or relapse as outcomes were included in the analysis.

"Patients don't lie"; a view on adherence in asthma.

Objective: The primary objective of this article is to examine the extent of self-reported non-adherence among patients participating in a controlled trial of an asthma compliance optimization intervention. The secondary objective is to introduce a two-question questionnaire that is, in wording and design, a neutral tool for disclosure of non-adherence behaviour.

Method: Data in this study was obtained as part of a controlled trial on an SMS monitoring and compliance intervention developed for Danish asthma patients.

Rationales behind the choice of administration form with fentanyl: Delphi survey among Danish general practitioners.

Background And Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the rationale behind the choice of fentanyl administration forms among Danish general practitioners (GPs).

Methods: Thirty-eight Danish GPs were contacted via an Internet survey system to perform a Delphi survey. In the brainstorming phase, the main reasons for prescribing and not prescribing fentanyl patches, oral transmucosal systems (OTFCs), and nasal sprays were identified.

Psychological and behavioural predictors of pain management outcomes in patients with cancer.

To better understand the phenomenon of patient-related barriers to cancer pain management and address them more effectively in interventional studies, a theoretical model related to psychological aspects of pain experience and pain-related behaviours was elaborated. The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of patient-related barriers on cancer pain management outcomes following this model. Thirty-three patients responded to the Brief Pain Inventory Pain scale, the Danish Barriers Questionnaire II (DBQ-II), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), the Danish version of Patient Perceived Involvement in Care Scale measuring the quality of patient-physician pain communication, and the Danish version of Medication Adherence Report Scale (DMARS-4).

Danish pain specialists' rationales behind the choice of fentanyl transdermal patches and oral transmucosal systems--a delphi study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the rationale behind the choice of fentanyl administration forms among Danish pain specialists.

Methods: Sixty Danish physicians specializing in pain management were contacted via an Internet survey system to perform a two-phase Delphi survey. Response rates were 45% in the brainstorming and 88% in the rating phases, respectively.

Application of pharmacogenomics to clinical problems in depression.

The goal of this article is to review the literature for evidence supporting an association between polymorphisms within drug target genes and clinical outcomes for treating depression, with a purpose to identify a research area having the most promising potential to be introduced into clinical settings, and thus, discussing the perspectives of genotyping in antidepressant therapy. A total of 67 articles were identified. Polymorphic sites within the serotonin transporter gene promoter, 5-HTTLPR, were the most studied polymorphisms.

Barriers to cancer pain management: a review of empirical research.

Patient-, physician-, and health care system-related barriers of cancer pain management in patients with malignant diseases are a recognized and widely investigated issue. The purpose of this review is to summarize the main findings of empirical research on these barriers in the literature. The most significant patient-related barriers were patient reluctance to report pain and adhere to treatment recommendations.

The Danish Barriers Questionnaire-II: preliminary validation in cancer pain patients.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Barriers Questionnaire-II (DBQ-II).

Methods: The validated Norwegian version of the DBQ-II was translated into Danish. Cancer patients for the study were recruited from specialized pain management facilities.

Clinical rationale for administering fentanyl to cancer pain patients: two Delphi surveys of pain management experts in Denmark.

Objective: To describe the rationale behind the choice of fentanyl administration forms as reported by Danish nurses and physicians specializing in pain management.

Methods: Sixty nurses and 60 physicians specializing in pain management in Denmark were contacted via an Internet survey system to perform two Delphi surveys. In the brainstorming phase, the main reasons for administering and not administering fentanyl patches and oral transmucosal fentanyl citrate (OTFC) were identified.

The Danish version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale: preliminary validation in cancer pain patients.

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Danish version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale (DMARS-4) adapted to measure adherence to analgesic regimen among cancer patients.

Methods: The validated English version of the Medication Adherence Report Scale was translated into Danish following the repeated back-translation procedure. Cancer patients for the study were recruited from specialized pain management facilities.

Patient-related barriers to cancer pain management: a systematic exploratory review.

The aim of this review was to systemically explore the current evidence regarding patient-related barriers to cancer pain management to find new areas that might be important for better understanding of patient barriers' phenomenon. The method used in this study was a computerised literature search, carried out in Cochrane Library, Medline (through PubMed), Web of Science and EMBASE databases for the period 1994-2005. Thirty-seven studies, dealing with cognitive, sensory and affective patient-related barriers, as well as studies, describing patients' pain communication and their adherence to analgesic regimen were included and analysed.

Physician-related barriers to cancer pain management with opioid analgesics: a systematic review.

Objective: The purpose of this review is to summarize the results of studies on physician-related barriers to cancer pain management with opioid analgesics.

Methods: A literature search was conducted in PUBMED, using a combined text word and MeSH heading search strategy. Those articles whose full texts were not available in PUBMED were retrieved from the electronic databases of specific journals.

The diffusion of innovation: factors influencing the uptake of pharmacogenetics.

Background: Inspired by diffusion research, this paper examines how perceived need, health status, experiences with medicine and testing, consumption of mass media and sociodemography influence the public's familiarity, knowledge, attitudes and intentions regarding pharmacogenetics. The objective is to identify factors affecting the adoption pattern of pharmacogenetics in the public.

Method: The paper is based on an Internet-based questionnaire survey conducted in March 2005.

Lay perspective on pharmacogenomics: a literature review.

The lay attitude to pharmacogenomics is crucial to successful implementation. The intention of the present literature review is to delineate the considerations, expectations, fears, and so on, described in the literature regarding pharmacogenomics seen from a lay perspective. The literature review was conducted in Medline and EMBASE in March 2005.

Public acceptance of drug use for non-disease conditions.

Objective: This article deals with the issue of ordinary healthy people using drugs to improve or enhance non-disease conditions. The objective is to illuminate the extent of public acceptance of this practice.

Research Design And Methods: The results are based on two studies: a classically structured telephone interview with 961 Danes in 1999 and an Internet questionnaire survey of 2735 Danes in 2003.

No cure, no pay.

Not paying for a drug unless it works sounds great for patients and healthcare funders, but it could also benefit manufacturers.

Feasibility of collecting diary data from asthma patients through mobile phones and SMS (short message service): response rate analysis and focus group evaluation from a pilot study.

Background: Self-management of asthma may improve asthma outcomes. The Internet has been suggested as a tool for the monitoring and self-management of asthma. However, in a recent study we found that a Web interface had some disadvantages and that users stopped using the application after a short while.

The use of the terms 'lifestyle medicines' or 'lifestyle drugs'.

Aim: over the last 10 decades, 'lifestyle medicines' or 'lifestyle drugs' have been used with increasing frequency by journalists, politicians, authorities and to some extent by scientists. The objective of this paper is to analyse the quantity and quality of the use of these terms and discuss the implications associated with the labelling of indications and products as lifestyle medicines or lifestyle drugs.

Methods: The findings in this paper are based on an extensive literature review in the databases Medline, Pubmed, Embase and the two most frequently used search engines altavista.

Ethical, social and legal implications of pharmacogenomics: a critical review.

Objective: My aim was to examine the ethical, social and legal implications of pharmacogenomics.

Methods: I performed a critical review of the literature. The primary focal point is the bioethical principle discussed.