Clinical utility of thiopurine metabolite monitoring in inflammatory bowel disease and its impact on healthcare utilization in Singapore.

Background And Aim: Thiopurines are recommended for maintenance of steroid-free remission (SFR) in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Thiopurine metabolite monitoring (MM) is increasingly used in the West but remains novel in Singapore, with limited information on its therapeutic and economic benefits. Hence, this study aims to investigate MM's clinical utility and its impact on healthcare resource utilization in Singaporean IBD patients.

A quality improvement project reduces time spent at an inflammatory bowel disease infusion center with accelerated infliximab infusion protocol.

Background And Aim: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requiring infliximab frequently spend hours to attend treatment. Through quality improvement (QI) methodology, we aimed to shorten the time spent in the biologics infusion center using the accelerated infusion protocol and describe patient outcomes, safety, and associated cost savings.

Methods: From September 2018 through December 2019, eligible IBD patients receiving infliximab were recruited.

Vaccinations and inflammatory bowel disease - a systematic review.

Introduction: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD) are at risk of infections, many of which are preventable with vaccinations. We performed a systematic review on various aspects of vaccination in IBD.

Methods: We searched PubMed, and EMBASE databases, through 31 January 2021.

Health-related quality of life of patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Singapore.

Background/aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is associated with considerable impairment of patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Knowledge of factors that significantly affect IBD patients' HRQoL can contribute to better patient care. However, the HRQoL of IBD patients in non-Western countries are limited.

Multicenter phase II study of sequential radioembolization-sorafenib therapy for inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: The safety and tolerability of sequential radioembolization-sorafenib therapy is unknown. An open-label, single arm, investigator-initiated Phase II study (NCT0071279) was conducted at four Asia-Pacific centers to evaluate the safety and efficacy of sequential radioembolization-sorafenib in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) not amenable to curative therapies.

Methods: Sorafenib (400 mg twice-daily) was initiated 14 days post-radioembolization with yttrium-90 (90Y) resin microspheres given as a single procedure.

A questionnaire survey of patient experience with the Rheumatology Monitoring Clinic in Singapore.

Aim: The concept of a pharmacist/advanced practice nurse (APN)-led Rheumatology Monitoring Clinic (RMC) is a novel service in Singapore; we therefore conducted a questionnaire survey of patient experience.

Methods: Patients attending the RMC were provided with a set of questionnaires. As a substudy, a separate questionnaire was given to the rheumatologists and therapists conducting the RMC.

Feasibility, cost-effectiveness and patients' acceptance of point-of-care INR testing in a hospital-based anticoagulation clinic.

Point-of-care (POC) coagulometers are increasingly used by patients for self-monitoring of oral vitamin K antagonists therapy. We studied the feasibility of introducing POC international normalised ratio (INR) testing in place of standard laboratory assays in a hospital-based anticoagulation clinic with 250 active patients. The CoaguChek XS system was first validated in 253 INR samples and found to have a correlation of r = 0.