Interventions to Improve Medication Adherence in Ethnically Diverse Patients: A Narrative Systematic Review.

Introduction: Ethnically diverse patients often have lower medication adherence relative to Whites. Certain ethnic groups are also more susceptible to cardiovascular and related diseases. It is critical to develop culturally tailored interventions to improve medication adherence in these ethnically diverse patients.

Development of a Culturally Tailored Motivational Interviewing-Based Intervention to Improve Medication Adherence in South Asian Patients.

Background: South Asians (SAs) are among the fastest growing ethnic population in Western countries and have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases relative to the general population. SAs living in Canada also have poorer adherence to medical regimens for treating cardiovascular disease, relative to other ethnic groups. Motivational interviewing (MI) maybe effective in improving health-related behaviour change in patients; however, the research is nascent on the effectiveness of MI in SAs and may also require cultural adaptation.

South Asians' experience of managing hypertension: a grounded theory study.

Objective: We examined the process that South Asians undergo when managing their hypertension (HTN).

Method: Using grounded theory methods, 27 community-dwelling English-, Punjabi-, or Hindi-speaking South Asian participants (12 men and 15 women), who self-identified as having HTN were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using constant comparison.

Understanding ethno-cultural differences in cardiac medication adherence behavior: a Canadian study.

Background: There are ethno-cultural differences in cardiac patients' adherence to medications. It is unclear why this occurs. We thus aimed to generate an in-depth understanding about the decision-making process and potential ethno-cultural differences, of white, Chinese, and south Asian cardiac patients when making the decision to adhere to a medication regimen.

Ethnocultural influences in how people prefer to obtain and receive health information.

Aims And Objectives: To develop an understanding of south Asian and Chinese people's preferences about where to find health information and how best to receive health information, relative to their white counterparts.

Background: South Asian and Chinese ethnic groups represent the largest proportion of Canada's growing visible minorities. There may be challenges to ensuring that south Asian and Chinese people have access to health information in the same way that others do.

Finding resiliency in the face of financial barriers: Development of a conceptual framework for people with cardiovascular-related chronic disease.

Patients with chronic diseases often face financial barriers to optimize their health. These financial barriers may be related to direct healthcare costs such as medications or self-monitoring supplies, or indirect costs such as transportation to medical appointments. No known framework exists to understand how financial barriers impact patients' lives or their health outcomes.

The Role of Adverse Event Reporting in the FDA Response to a Multistate Outbreak of Liver Disease Associated with a Dietary Supplement.

Objective: Liver disease is a potential complication from using dietary supplements. This study investigated an outbreak of non-viral liver disease associated with the use of OxyELITE Pro(TM), a dietary supplement used for weight loss and/or muscle building.

Methods: Illness details were ascertained from MedWatch reports submitted to the U.

The influence of ethnicity and gender on navigating an acute coronary syndrome event.

Background: Ethnicity and gender may influence acute coronary syndrome patients recognizing symptoms and making the decision to seek care.

Objective: To examine these potential differences in European (Caucasian), Chinese and South Asian acute coronary syndrome patients.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 European (Caucasian: 10 men/10 women), 18 Chinese (10 men/eight women) and 19 South Asian (10 men/nine women) participants who were purposively sampled from those participating in a large cohort study focused on acute coronary syndrome.

Weight and patients' decision to undergo cardiac surgery.

Obese patients are less likely to have cardiac surgery than normal weight patients. This could be due to physician or patient decision-making. We undertook a qualitative descriptive study to explore the influence of obesity on patients' decision-making to have cardiac surgery.

Adhesive-enhanced sternal closure to improve postoperative functional recovery: a pilot, randomized controlled trial.

Background: We previously established a proof-of-concept in a human cadaveric model where conventional wire cerclage was augmented with a novel biocompatible bone adhesive that increased mechanical strength and early bone stability. We report the results of a single-center, pilot, randomized clinical trial of the effects of adhesive-enhanced closure of the sternum on functional postoperative recovery.

Methods: In 55 patients undergoing primary sternotomy, 26 patients underwent conventional wire closure and were compared with 29 patients who underwent adhesive-enhanced closure, which consisted of Kryptonite biocompatible adhesive (Doctors Research Group Inc, Southbury, CT) applied to each sternal edge in addition to conventional 7-wire cerclage.

Examining and establishing translational and conceptual equivalence of survey questionnaires for a multi-ethnic, multi-language study.

Aim: This paper is a report of techniques used to examine and establish translational and conceptual equivalence of survey questionnaires.

Background: A major concern arose about standardization of translated survey questionnaires, when preparing to evaluate differences in acute coronary syndrome presentation in European (White), Chinese and South Asian patients.

Methods: The survey questionnaires were first translated by an accredited translation company.

Using social exchange theory to guide successful study recruitment and retention.

Participant attrition (withdrawal or loss after entering a study) is a major threat to the completion of valid studies. It can result in systematic error (selection bias), thus decreasing the statistical power of studies and limiting the generalisability of study findings. This paper demonstrates how key social exchange theory principles form the theoretical context for our practice, which, in turn enables us to form enduring relationships with study participants.

The influence of coronary artery bypass graft harvest site on women's pain, functional status, and health services utilization throughout the first post-operative year: a longitudinal study.

Background: Coronary artery bypass graft surgery is a commonly performed procedure aimed at managing coronary symptoms and prolonging life. Researchers have typically examined morbidity and mortality outcomes of predominantly male populations. Less is known about the influence of graft harvest site on recovery outcomes such as surgery-related pain, functional status, and health services utilization, especially in women.

A descriptive examination of the impact of sternal scar formation in women.

Formation of abnormal scars is a significant source of morbidity following sternotomy. We undertook a descriptive exploratory mixed methods study of women (n=13) who participated in the Women's Recovery from Sternotomy Trial to examine the: (1) qualitative impact of the cosmetic result of sternotomy, and (2) quantitative association between subjective satisfaction and objective ratings of the sternal scar. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze the data generated from semi-structured interviews.

Tracking of blood pressure and its impact on graft function in pediatric renal transplant patients.

We studied tracking of BP and its impact on GFR in 44 PRTP followed for 56 months. Three months PT 77% had elevated SBP percentile. First year SBP and DBP correlated positively with final values (p < 0.

First Nations people's challenge in managing coronary artery disease risk.

First Nations peoples bring a particular history and cultural perspective to healing and well-being that significantly influences their health behaviors. The authors used grounded theory methods to describe and explain how ethnocultural affiliation and gender influence the process that 22 First Nations people underwent when making lifestyle changes related to their coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. The transcribed interviews revealed a core variable, meeting the challenge.

Assessment of risk factors for cardiovasuclar disease in pediatric renal transplant patients.

Pediatric renal TP recipients are at risk for CVD. We performed a cross-sectional study of the prevalence of RF for CVD in 45 long-term pediatric renal TP patients. The time since TP was 42 months.

Chinese immigrants' management of their cardiovascular disease risk.

The authors have undertaken a series of grounded theory studies to describe and explain how ethnocultural affiliation and gender influence the process that cardiac patients undergo when faced with making behavior changes associated with reducing their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Data were collected through audiorecorded semistructured interviews (using an interpreter as necessary), and the authors analyzed the data using constant comparative methods. The core variable that emerged through the series of studies was "meeting the challenge.

Results of one-year follow-up of steroid-free immunosuppression in pediatric renal transplant patients.

Renal transplantation in children has traditionally required immunosuppression with multiple medications including glucocorticoids. Data collected over almost 30 yr suggest that although glucocorticoids are efficacious as part of a regimen to minimize the incidence of acute rejection episodes, their use is associated with increased risk for post-transplant hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and reduced growth rates. We desired to reduce these complications and thus used an immunosuppressive protocol including daclizumab, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil and study the efficacy of this protocol in a population with a high percentage of African-American recipients.

Men and women managing coronary artery disease risk: urban-rural contrasts.

People's beliefs about health and making lifestyle changes associated with risk reduction and disease prevention can vary based on their gender and ethnocultural affiliation. Our objective was to describe and explain how gender and ethnocultural affiliation influence the process that people undergo when faced with making lifestyle changes related to their coronary artery disease (CAD) risk. A series of grounded theory studies were undertaken in Alberta, Canada, with men and women from five ethnocultural groups diagnosed with CAD.

Effect of age, ethnicity, and glucocorticoid use on tacrolimus pharmacokinetics in pediatric renal transplant patients.

Tacrolimus has become an effective alternative to cyclosporine as a component of primary immunosuppression in pediatric renal transplant patients, but the information on the pharmacokinetic characteristics of tacrolimus in young patients is still limited. The primary objective of this study was to determine the effect of patient age, ethnicity, and concurrent steroid administration on tacrolimus pharmacokinetics in pediatric renal transplant patients. The study population consisted of 30 pediatric patients, age 1.