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Anesen AA. Adoption of Diabetes Technology in Denmark: Continuous Glucose Monitor as Time-Machine. Med Anthropol 2024; 43:428-440. [PMID: 38924708 DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2024.2362883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Health technologies to monitor glucose values are an important part of daily diabetes self-care. Based on 12 months of fieldwork in Denmark with 14 people with type 2 diabetes, I explore people's experience of living with Continuous Glucose Monitoring. This new technology automatically measures glucose levels throughout the day but is not yet common in type 2 diabetes treatment in Denmark. In this article, I capture the social shaping of Continuous Glucose Monitoring, employing the concept of time. I show how adoption of the technology is embedded in a form of biographical time. This refers to people's use of the technology linked to their stories about themselves. Drawing on a notion of habitus, people's embodied past experiences and future prospects come to shape its use, I propose. My main claim is that while people with diabetes implement the technology into their lives in unique ways, adapting it to their circumstances and social conditions, practice of Continuous Glucose Monitoring reproduce social structures. This is evinced, I argue, in people's tinkering with the technology and the frames of reference used to inform it. I introduce the term "tinkering in time", highlighting the introduction of new health technology within the frame of lived human time.
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Harris A, Gilbert F. Need for greater post-trial support for clinical trial participants assessing high-risk, irreversible treatments. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ETHICS 2024:jme-2023-109719. [PMID: 38834240 DOI: 10.1136/jme-2023-109719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
There are increasing numbers of clinical trials assessing high-risk, irreversible treatments. Trial participants should only expect knowledge gain to society, no personal therapeutic benefit. However, participation may lead to long-term harms and prevent future therapeutic options. While some discussion has occurred around post-trial access to treatments for participants who received therapeutic benefit, there are no post-trial support requirements for those suffering long-term consequences from trial participation. Participants may be left with significant medical, psychological, social, technical or financial needs. All trials will end at some point, regardless of their success. Subsequently, they should be designed to take into account the post-trial period including the impact on the ongoing health of a participant and their post-trial needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Harris
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frederic Gilbert
- EthicsLab, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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Gilbert F, Ienca M, Cook M. How I became myself after merging with a computer: Does human-machine symbiosis raise human rights issues? Brain Stimul 2023; 16:783-789. [PMID: 37137387 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2023.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Novel usages of brain stimulation combined with artificially intelligent (AI) systems promise to address a large range of diseases. These new conjoined technologies, such as brain-computer interfaces (BCI), are increasingly used in experimental and clinical settings to predict and alleviate symptoms of various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Due to their reliance on AI algorithms for feature extraction and classification, these BCI systems enable a novel, unprecedented, and direct connection between human cognition and artificial information processing. In this paper, we present the results of a study that investigates the phenomenology of human-machine symbiosis during a first-in-human experimental BCI trial designed to predict epileptic seizures. We employed qualitative semi-structured interviews to collect user experience data from a participant over a six-years period. We report on a clinical case where a specific embodied phenomenology emerged: namely, after BCI implantation, the patient reported experiences of increased agential capacity and continuity; and after device explantation, the patient reported persistent traumatic harms linked to agential discontinuity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported clinical case of a patient experiencing persistent agential discontinuity due to BCI explantation and potential evidence of an infringement on patient right, where the implanted person was robbed of her de novo agential capacities when the device was removed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Gilbert
- EthicsLab, Philosophy & Gender Studies, School of Humanities, College of Arts, Law and Education, University of Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Marcello Ienca
- Institute for Ethics and History of Medicine, School of Medicine - Technische Universität München (TUM), Ismaninger Str. 22, 81675, München, Germany; Intelligent Systems Ethics Group, College of Humanities (CDH), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland
| | - Mark Cook
- Division Engineering and IT - Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Australia; The Sir John Eccles Chair of Medicine, Director of Clinical Neurosciences, St. Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
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Litchfield I, Calvert MJ, Kinsella F, Sungum N, Aiyegbusi OL. "I just wanted to speak to someone- and there was no one…": using Burden of Treatment Theory to understand the impact of a novel ATMP on early recipients. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:86. [PMID: 37069697 PMCID: PMC10111696 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02680-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Advanced therapy medicinal products such as Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy offer ground-breaking opportunities for the treatment of various cancers, inherited diseases, and chronic conditions. With development of these novel therapies continuing to increase it's important to learn from the experiences of patients who were among the first recipients of ATMPs. In this way we can improve the clinical and psychosocial support offered to early patient recipients in the future to support the successful completion of treatments and trials. STUDY DESIGN We conducted a qualitative investigation informed by the principles of the key informant technique to capture the experience of some of the first patients to experience CAR-T therapy in the UK. A directed content analysis was used to populate a theoretical framework informed by Burden of Treatment Theory to determine the lessons that can be learnt in supporting their care, support, and ongoing self-management. RESULTS A total of five key informants were interviewed. Their experiences were described within the three domains of the burden of treatment framework; (1) The health care tasks delegated to patients, Participants described the frequency of follow-up and the resources involved, the esoteric nature of the information provided by clinicians; (2) Exacerbating factors of the treatment, which notably included the lack of understanding of the clinical impacts of the treatment in the broader health service, and the lack of a peer network to support patient understanding; (3) Consequences of the treatment, in which they described the anxiety induced by the process surrounding their selection for treatment, and the feeling of loneliness and isolation at being amongst the very first recipients. CONCLUSIONS If ATMPs are to be successfully introduced at the rates forecast, then it is important that the burden placed on early recipients is minimised. We have discovered how they can feel emotionally isolated, clinically vulnerable, and structurally unsupported by a disparate and pressured health service. We recommend that where possible, structured peer support be put in place alongside signposting to additional information that includes the planned pattern of follow-up, and the management of discharged patients would ideally accommodate individual circumstances and preferences to minimize the burden of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Litchfield
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
| | - Melanie J Calvert
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) in Precision Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) - West Midlands, Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Francesca Kinsella
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) in Precision Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Clinical Haematology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nisha Sungum
- Midlands and Wales Advanced Therapy Treatment Centre, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- Research Development and Innovation, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Olalekan L Aiyegbusi
- Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- NIHR Blood and Transplant Research Unit (BTRU) in Precision Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) - West Midlands, Birmingham, UK
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Health Partners (BHP) Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Sankary LR, Zelinsky M, Machado A, Rush T, White A, Ford PJ. Exit from Brain Device Research: A Modified Grounded Theory Study of Researcher Obligations and Participant Experiences. AJOB Neurosci 2022; 13:215-226. [PMID: 34255614 PMCID: PMC10570922 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2021.1938293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
As clinical trials end, little is understood about how participants exiting from clinical trials approach decisions related to the removal or post-trial use of investigational brain implants, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS) devices. This empirical bioethics study examines how research participants experience the process of exit from research at the end of clinical trials of implanted neural devices. Using a modified grounded theory study design, we conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 former research participants from clinical trials of DBS and responsive neurostimulation (RNS). Open-ended questions elicited motivations for joining the trial, understanding of study procedures at the time of initial informed consent, the process of exiting from research, and decisions about device removal or post-trial device use. Thematic analysis identified categories related to: limited preparedness for the end of research participation, straightforwardness of decisions to explant or keep the device, reconciling with the end of research participation, reconciling post-trial expectations, and achieving a sense of closure after exit from research. A preliminary theoretical model describes contextual factors influencing the process and experience of exit from research. Experiences of clinical trial participants should guide research practices to enhance the ethical design and conduct of clinical trials in DBS and other brain devices.
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Gilbert F, Tubig P, Harris AR. Not-So-Straightforward Decisions to Keep or Explant a Device: When Does Neural Device Removal Become Patient Coercion? AJOB Neurosci 2022; 13:230-232. [PMID: 36272162 DOI: 10.1080/21507740.2022.2126544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Lázaro-Muñoz G, Pham MT, Muñoz KA, Kostick-Quenet K, Sanchez CE, Torgerson L, Robinson J, Pereira S, Outram S, Koenig BA, Starr PA, Gunduz A, Foote KD, Okun MS, Goodman W, McGuire AL, Zuk P. Post-trial access in implanted neural device research: Device maintenance, abandonment, and cost. Brain Stimul 2022; 15:1029-1036. [PMID: 35926784 PMCID: PMC9588741 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2022.07.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical trial participants who benefit from experimental neural devices for the treatment of debilitating and otherwise treatment-resistant conditions are generally not ensured continued access to effective therapy or maintenance of devices at the conclusion of trials. OBJECTIVE/HYPOTHESIS Post-trial obligations have been extensively examined in the context of drug trials, but there has been little empirical examination of stakeholder perspectives regarding these obligations in the rapidly growing field of neural device research. METHODS This study examined the perspectives of 44 stakeholders (i.e., 23 researchers and 21 patient-participants) involved in implantable neural device trials. RESULTS Researchers were concerned about current post-trial management, identified barriers like cost, and suggested ways to improve the system. Many patient-participants were unaware of whether they would have post-trial access, but most thought they should keep devices if beneficial, and agreed with researchers that more should be done to help them keep and maintain these neural devices. CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this is the first in-depth examination of researcher perspectives regarding continued access to experimental neural devices and only the second such examination of patient-participant perspectives. These data can help inform future ethical and policy decisions about post-trial access to implantable neurotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Lázaro-Muñoz
- Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, United States.
| | - Michelle T Pham
- Center for Bioethcis and Social Justice, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University, East Fee Hall 965 Wilson Road Rm A-126, East Lansing, MI, 48824, United States
| | - Katrina A Muñoz
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Kristin Kostick-Quenet
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Clarissa E Sanchez
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Laura Torgerson
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Jill Robinson
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Stacey Pereira
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Simon Outram
- Program in Bioethics, University of California, 490 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States
| | - Barbara A Koenig
- Program in Bioethics, University of California, 490 Illinois Street, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States
| | - Philip A Starr
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, 400 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, United States
| | - Aysegul Gunduz
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 3009 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 1275 Center Drive, Biomedical Science Building, JG56, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States
| | - Kelly D Foote
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 3009 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, United States
| | - Michael S Okun
- Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Florida, 3009 SW Williston Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, United States
| | - Wayne Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 1977 Butler Blvd Suite E4.100, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Amy L McGuire
- Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Suite 326D, Houston, TX, 77030, United States
| | - Peter Zuk
- Center for Bioethics, Harvard Medical School, 641 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
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Kimbell B, Rankin D, Hart RI, Allen JM, Boughton CK, Campbell F, Fröhlich-Reiterer E, Hofer SE, Kapellen TM, Rami-Merhar B, Schierloh U, Thankamony A, Ware J, Hovorka R, Lawton J. Parents' experiences of using a hybrid closed-loop system (CamAPS FX) to care for a very young child with type 1 diabetes: Qualitative study. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 2022; 187:109877. [PMID: 35469973 DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2022.109877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To explore parents' experiences of using a hybrid closed-loop system (CamAPS FX) when caring for a very young child (aged 1-7 years) with type 1 diabetes. METHODS Interviews with n = 33 parents of 30 children who used the system during a randomised controlled trial. Data analysis used a descriptive thematic approach. RESULTS While some parents were initially reticent about handing control to the system, all reported clinical benefits to using the technology, having to do less diabetes-related work and needing less clinical input over time. Parents welcomed opportunities to enhance the system's efficacy (using Ease-off and Boost functions) as required. Parents described how the system's automated glucose control facilitated more normality, including sleeping better, worrying less about their child, and feeling more confident and able to outsource care. Parents also described more normality for the child (alongside better sleep, mood and concentration, and lessened distress) and siblings. Parents liked being able to administer insulin using a smartphone, but suggested refinements to device size and functionality. CONCLUSIONS Using a hybrid closed-loop system in very young children can facilitate greater normality and may result in a lessened demand for health professionals' input. Systems may need to be customised for very young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Kimbell
- Usher Institute, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - David Rankin
- Usher Institute, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ruth I Hart
- Usher Institute, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Janet M Allen
- Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Charlotte K Boughton
- Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Fiona Campbell
- Department of Paediatric Diabetes, Leeds Children's Hospital, Leeds, UK
| | - Elke Fröhlich-Reiterer
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Sabine E Hofer
- Department of Pediatrics I, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas M Kapellen
- Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany; Hospital for Children and Adolescents am Nicolausholz Bad Kösen, Germany
| | - Birgit Rami-Merhar
- Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Schierloh
- Department of Pediatric Diabetes and Endocrinology, Clinique Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Ajay Thankamony
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Children's Services, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julia Ware
- Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roman Hovorka
- Wellcome Trust - MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Julia Lawton
- Usher Institute, Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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White M, Whittaker RG. Post-Trial Considerations for an Early Phase Optogenetic Trial in the Human Brain. OPEN ACCESS JOURNAL OF CLINICAL TRIALS 2022. [DOI: 10.2147/oajct.s345482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
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10
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Restoring vision using optogenetics without being blind to the risks. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2021; 260:41-45. [PMID: 34724112 PMCID: PMC8558540 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-021-05477-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinit is pigmentosa is an incurable degenerative disease that causes loss of light-sensitive cells in the retina and leads to severe vision impairment. The development of optogenetics has created great hype around its potential to treat retinitis pigmentosa by the introduction of light-sensitive proteins into other neural cells in the retina. The first-in-human studies of optogenetic treatment for this disease have recently been reported (NCT02556736 and NCT03326336). The treatment involves irreversible gene therapy and requires access to specially designed goggles to deliver light to the treated eye. These highly innovative and high-profile clinical trials raise numerous ethical issues that must be addressed during the early phases of research and clinical testing to ensure trial participants are treated fairly and can provide appropriate informed consent.
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11
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Ulrich CM, Knafl K, Foxwell AM, Zhou Q, Paidipati C, Tiller D, Ratcliffe SJ, Wallen GR, Richmond TS, Naylor M, Gordon TF, Grady C, Miller V. Experiences of Patients After Withdrawal From Cancer Clinical Trials. JAMA Netw Open 2021; 4:e2120052. [PMID: 34374772 PMCID: PMC8356063 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.20052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Cancer clinical trials (CCTs) provide patients an opportunity to receive experimental drugs, tests, and/or procedures that can lead to remission. For some, a CCT may seem like their only option. Little is known about experiences of patient-participants who withdraw or are withdrawn from CCTs. OBJECTIVE To examine patient-participants' experiences during withdrawal from CCTs. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This qualitative, descriptive study used a semistructured interview designed specifically for it, with open-ended and probing questions. The study took place at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania. The need for a sample of 20 interviewees was determined by code and meaning saturation (ie, no new themes revealed and identified themes fully elaborated). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed with a qualitative software program. Data coded with the software were refined into categories reflecting broad themes. A criterion-based sampling approach was used to select a subset of adult patients with cancer who were former CCT participants and who agreed on exit from those CCTs to a later interview about withdrawal experiences. They were contacted one by one by telephone from September 2015 through June 2019 until 20 agreed. Data analysis was completed in October 2020. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Themes characterizing patient-participants' perceptions of their withdrawal experiences. RESULTS Respondents' mean (SD) age was 64.42 (8.49) years; 12 (63.2%) were men. Most respondents were White (18 respondents [94.7%]) and college educated (11 respondents [55.0%]). Cancer stage data were available for 17 participants, 11 of whom (64.7%) had stage IV cancer at CCT enrollment. Thirteen respondents reported withdrawal as a result of disease progression, and 5 withdrew because of adverse effects. Other reasons for withdrawal included acute illness and participant uncertainty about the reason. Analysis of interview data yielded 5 themes: posttrial prognostic awareness, goals of care discussions, emotional coping, burden of adverse effects, and professional trust and support. Subthemes included regrets or hindsight, urgency to start next treatment, and weighing benefits and burdens of treatment. Limited discussions about patient-participants' immediate posttrial care needs left many feeling that there was no clear path forward. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Patient-participants transitioning from a CCT described feeling intense symptoms and emotions and awareness that their life span was short and options seemed to be limited. Communication that includes attention to posttrial needs is needed throughout the CCT to help patient-participants navigate posttrial steps. Research should focus on components of responsible and ethical CCT transitions, including types and timing of discussions and who should begin these discussions with patient-participants and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connie M. Ulrich
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | - Kathleen Knafl
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
| | | | - Qiuping Zhou
- School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Cynthia Paidipati
- Department of Family and Community Health, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Deborah Tiller
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | | | | | - Mary Naylor
- School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
| | | | - Christine Grady
- National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Victoria Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Nalubega S, Cox K, Mugerwa H, Evans C. Facilitated transition in HIV drug trial closure: A conceptual model for HIV post-trial care. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250698. [PMID: 33914783 PMCID: PMC8084151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Within the HIV clinical trial field, there are gaps in existing ethical regulations in relation to post-trial care. There is need to develop post-trial care guidelines that are flexible and sensitive to local contexts and to the specific needs of different groups of participants, particularly in low income contexts. Evidence regarding HIV trial closure and post-trial care is required to underpin the development of appropriate policies in this area. This article reports research from Uganda that develops a new model of 'Facilitated Transition' to conceptualize the transition process of HIV positive trial participants from 'research' to 'usual care' health facilities after trial conclusion. This was a qualitative grounded theory study that included 21 adult HIV positive post-trial participants and 22 research staff, undertaken between October 2014 and August 2015. The findings showed that trial closure is a complex process for HIV positive participants which includes three phases: the pre-closure, trial-closure, and post-trial phases. The model highlights a range of different needs of research participants and suggests specific and person-centred interventions that can be delivered at different phases with the aim of improving health outcomes and experiences for trial participants in low income settings during trial closure. Further research needs to be done to verify the model in other contexts and for other conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Cox
- University of Kent, Kent, United Kingdom
| | | | - Catrin Evans
- University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Furness K, Huggins CE, Truby H, Croagh D, Haines TP. Attitudes of Australian Patients Undergoing Treatment for Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers to Different Models of Nutrition Care Delivery: Qualitative Investigation. JMIR Form Res 2021; 5:e23979. [PMID: 33709939 PMCID: PMC7998321 DOI: 10.2196/23979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Adults diagnosed with cancers of the stomach, esophagus, and pancreas are at high risk of malnutrition. In many hospital-based health care settings, there is a lack of systems in place to provide the early and intensive nutritional support that is required by these high-risk cancer patients. Our research team conducted a 3-arm parallel randomized controlled trial to test the provision of an early and intensive nutrition intervention to patients with upper gastrointestinal cancers using a synchronous telephone-based delivery approach versus an asynchronous mobile app–based approach delivered using an iPad compared with a control group to address this issue. Objective This study aims to explore the overall acceptability of an early and intensive eHealth nutrition intervention delivered either via a synchronous telephone-based approach or an asynchronous mobile app–based approach. Methods Patients who were newly diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal cancer and who consented to participate in a nutrition intervention were recruited. In-depth, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted by telephone and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis using the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability in NVivo Pro 12 Plus. Results A total of 20 participants were interviewed, 10 from each intervention group (synchronous or asynchronous delivery). Four major themes emerged from the qualitative synthesis: participants’ self-efficacy, low levels of burden, and intervention comprehension were required for intervention effectiveness and positive affect; participants sought a sense of support and security through relationship building and rapport with their dietitian; knowledge acquisition and learning-enabled empowerment through self-management; and convenience, flexibility, and bridging the gap to hard-to-reach individuals. Conclusions Features of eHealth models of nutrition care delivered via telephone and mobile app can be acceptable to those undergoing treatment for upper gastrointestinal cancer. Convenience, knowledge acquisition, improved self-management, and support were key benefits for the participants. Future interventions should focus on home-based interventions delivered with simple, easy-to-use technology. Providing participants with a choice of intervention delivery mode (synchronous or asynchronous) and allowing them to make individual choices that align to their individual values and capabilities may support improved outcomes. Trial Registration Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry (ACTRN) 12617000152325; https://tinyurl.com/p3kxd37b.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Furness
- Monash Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia.,School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Catherine Elizabeth Huggins
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Helen Truby
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Daniel Croagh
- Upper Gastrointestinal and Hepatobiliary Surgery, Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Surgery, School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Terry Peter Haines
- School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Physiotherapy, School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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14
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Lawton J, Kimbell B, Rankin D, Ashcroft NL, Varghese L, Allen JM, Boughton CK, Campbell F, Randell T, Besser REJ, Trevelyan N, Hovorka R. Health professionals' views about who would benefit from using a closed-loop system: a qualitative study. Diabet Med 2020; 37:1030-1037. [PMID: 31989684 DOI: 10.1111/dme.14252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM To explore health professionals' views about who would benefit from using a closed-loop system and who should be prioritized for access to the technology in routine clinical care. METHODS Health professionals (n = 22) delivering the Closed Loop from Onset in type 1 Diabetes (CLOuD) trial were interviewed after they had ≥ 6 months' experience supporting participants using a closed-loop system. Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS Interviewees described holding strong assumptions about the types of people who would use the technology effectively prior to the trial. Interviewees described changing their views as a result of observing individuals engaging with the closed-loop system in ways they had not anticipated. This included educated, technologically competent individuals who over-interacted with the system in ways which could compromise glycaemic control. Other individuals, who health professionals assumed would struggle to understand and use the technology, were reported to have benefitted from it because they stood back and allowed the system to operate without interference. Interviewees concluded that individual, family and psychological attributes cannot be used as pre-selection criteria and, ideally, all individuals should be given the chance to try the technology. However, it was recognized that clinical guidelines will be needed to inform difficult decisions about treatment allocation (and withdrawal), with young children and infants being considered priority groups. CONCLUSIONS To ensure fair and equitable access to closed-loop systems, prejudicial assumptions held by health professionals may need to be addressed. To support their decision-making, clinical guidelines need to be made available in a timely manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lawton
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - B Kimbell
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - D Rankin
- Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - N L Ashcroft
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - L Varghese
- Cambridge Clinical Trials Unit, Cambridge, UK
| | - J M Allen
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - C K Boughton
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - T Randell
- Nottingham Children's Hospital, Nottingham, UK
| | - R E J Besser
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - N Trevelyan
- Southampton Children's Hospital, Southampton, UK
| | - R Hovorka
- Wellcome Trust - Medical Research Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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15
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Pace J, Laba TL, Nisingizwe MP, Lipworth W. Formulating an Ethics of Pharmaceutical Disinvestment. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2020; 17:75-86. [PMID: 32130652 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-020-09964-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
There is growing interest among pharmaceutical policymakers in how to "disinvest" from subsidized medicines. This is due to both the rapidly rising costs of healthcare and the increasing use of accelerated and conditional reimbursement pathways which mean that medicines are being subsidized on the basis of less robust evidence of safety and efficacy. It is crucial that disinvestment decisions are morally sound and socially legitimate, but there is currently no framework to facilitate this. We therefore reviewed the bioethics literature in order to identify ethical principles and concepts that might be relevant to pharmaceutical disinvestment decisions. This revealed a number of key ethical considerations-both procedural and substantive-that need to be considered when making pharmaceutical disinvestment decisions. These principles do not, however, provide practical guidance so we present a framework outlining how they might be applied to different types of disinvestment decisions. We also argue that, in this context, even the most rigorous ethical reasoning is likely to be overridden by moral intuitions and psychological biases and that disinvestment decisions will need to strike the right balance between respecting justifiable moral intuitions and overriding unjustifiable psychological impulses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Pace
- Sydney Health Ethics, Level 1, Medical Foundation Building, K25, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Tracey-Lea Laba
- Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation (CHERE), University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Broadway, NSW, 2007, Australia
| | - Marie-Paul Nisingizwe
- Graduate School, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 170-6371 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1ZT, Canada
| | - Wendy Lipworth
- Sydney Health Ethics, Level 1, Medical Foundation Building, K25, The University of Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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