Validating the Modified Drug Adherence Work-Up (M-DRAW) Tool to Identify and Address Barriers to Medication Adherence.

Barriers to medication adherence stem from multiple factors. An effective and convenient tool is needed to identify these barriers so that clinicians can provide a tailored, patient-centered consultation with patients. The Modified Drug Adherence Work-up Tool (M-DRAW) was developed as a 13-item checklist questionnaire to identify barriers to medication adherence.

A Systematic Review of Health Economic Evaluation Studies Using the Patient's Perspective.

Background: Patient-centered care has become increasingly important and relevant for informed health care decision making.

Objective: Our study aimed to perform a systematic review of health economic evaluation studies from the patient's perspective.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central databases were searched through May 2014 for cost-effectiveness, cost-utility, and cost-benefit studies using the patient's perspective in their analysis.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2): positive advanced breast cancer.

Purpose: The EMILIA trial demonstrated that trastuzumab emtansine (T-DM1) significantly increased the median profession-free and overall survival relative to combination therapy with lapatinib plus capecitabine (LC) in patients with HER2-positive advanced breast cancer (ABC) previously treated with trastuzumab and a taxane. We performed an economic analysis of T-DM1 as a second-line therapy compared to LC and monotherapy with capecitabine (C) from both perspectives of the US payer and society.

Methods: We developed four possible Markov models for ABC to compare the projected life-time costs and outcomes of T-DM1, LC, and C.

Putting words into action: A simple focused education improves prescription label comprehension and functional health literacy.

Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of an educational intervention on prescription (Rx) label comprehension and functional health literacy (FHL) in older adults. Outcomes were compared between current and redesigned Rx labels. Additional objectives were to examine the correlation between 2 outcome measures and to determine the characterizing variables that are predictors for the outcome measures.

Do value thresholds for oncology drugs differ from nononcology drugs?

Background: In the past decade, many oncologic drugs have been approved that extend life and/or improve patients' quality of life. However, new cancer drugs are often associated with high price and increased medical spending. For example, in 2010, the average annual cost of care for breast cancer in the final stage of disease was reported to be $94,284, and the total estimated cost in the United States was $16.