Browsing by Author "Kirshner, Miriam"

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    Health Literacy and Success with Glaucoma Drop Administration.
    (Ophthalmology. Glaucoma, 2022-01) Kang, J Minjy; Chatterjee, Ayan; Rosdahl, Jullia A; Bosworth, Hayden B; Woolson, Sandra; Olsen, Maren; Sexton, Malina; Kirshner, Miriam; Muir, Kelly W

    Purpose

    To assess the relationship between health literacy and successful glaucoma drop administration.

    Design

    Substudy of a single-site interventional randomized controlled trial.

    Participants

    Veterans receiving care at the Durham Veterans Affairs Eye Clinic who had a diagnosis of open-angle glaucoma were recruited if they endorsed poor drop adherence.

    Methods

    Participants underwent a health literacy evaluation using the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) as well as a qualitative assessment of eye drop administration technique using 3 different criteria: (1) the drop was instilled in the eye, (2) only 1 drop was dispensed, and (3) the bottle was not potentially contaminated. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to assess the association of REALM score and successful drop administration, adjusting for age, disease severity, and Veterans Administration Care Assessment Needs (CAN) score.

    Main outcome measures

    Successful drop administration.

    Results

    Of the 179 participants with REALM scores and observed drop administration, 78% read at a high school level (HSL) or more and 22% read at less than HSL. Of the 179 participants, 87% (n = 156) successfully instilled the drop into the eye (criterion 1). A greater proportion of participants who read at HSL or more successfully instilled the drop in the eye compared with those reading at less than HSL (90.6% vs. 75.0%; P = 0.02). Rates of success with criterion 1 were similar across different levels of visual field severity. Care Assessment Needs scores were not statistically significant between those who did and those did not have successful overall drop technique.

    Conclusions

    Poor health literacy may be associated with decreased successful drop instillation in the eye in patients with glaucoma. Screening for and considering health literacy in developing interventions to improve glaucoma self-management may improve treatment adherence in a vulnerable population.
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    How Medication Adherence Affects Disease Management in Veterans with Glaucoma: Lessons Learned from a Clinical Trial.
    (Ophthalmic research, 2023-01) Buehne, Kristen L; Rosdahl, Jullia A; Hein, Aaron M; Woolson, Sandra; Olsen, Maren; Kirshner, Miriam; Sexton, Malina; Bosworth, Hayden B; Muir, Kelly W

    Introduction

    We conducted a secondary, real-world clinical assessment of a randomized controlled trial to determine how a glaucoma medication adherence intervention impacted the clinical outcomes of participants at 12 months post-randomization. Participants included veterans at a VA eye clinic with medically treated glaucoma who reported poor adherence and their companions, if applicable.

    Methods

    The treatment group received a glaucoma education session with drop administration instruction and virtual reminders from a "smart bottle" (AdhereTech) for their eye drops. The control group received a general eye health class and the smart bottle with the reminder function turned off. Medical chart extraction determined if participants in each group experienced visual field progression, additional glaucoma medications, or a recommendation for surgery or laser due to inadequate intraocular pressure control over the 12 months following randomization. The main outcome measure was disease progression, defined as visual field progression or escalation of glaucoma therapy, in the 12 months following randomization.

    Results

    Thirty-six versus 32% of the intervention (n = 100) versus control (n = 100) groups, respectively, experienced disease intensification. There was no difference between the intervention and control groups in terms of intensification (intervention vs. control group odds ratio: 1.20; 95% confidence interval: [0.67, 2.15]), including when age, race, and disease severity were accounted for in the logistic regression model. Those whose study dates included time during the COVID-19 pandemic were evenly distributed between groups.

    Conclusions

    A multifaceted intervention that improved medication adherence for glaucoma for 6 months did not affect the clinical outcomes measured at 12 months post-randomization. Twelve months may not be long enough to see the clinical effect of this intervention or more than 6 months of intervention are needed.
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    How senior leaders support innovations in large learning health systems: Insights from United States Veterans Health Administration national program office leaders
    (Learning Health Systems, 2025) Lopez, Jaifred Christian; Allgood, Sallie; Sheahan, Kate; White, Brandolyn; Kirshner, Miriam; Shirley, Suzanne; Coffee, Madison; Milo, Amanda; Cutrona, Sarah; Damschroder, Laura; Fix, Gemmae; Nevedal, Andrea; Reardon, Caitlin; Widerquist, Marilla; Arasim, Maria; Gifford, Allen; DeLaughter, Kathryn; Jackson, George
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    Improved Glaucoma Medication Adherence in a Randomized Controlled Trial.
    (Ophthalmology. Glaucoma, 2022-01) Muir, Kelly W; Rosdahl, Jullia A; Hein, Aaron M; Woolson, Sandra; Olsen, Maren K; Kirshner, Miriam; Sexton, Malina; Bosworth, Hayden B

    Purpose

    To test the effectiveness of an intervention designed to improve glaucoma medication adherence.

    Design

    Randomized, controlled trial at a Veterans Affairs (VA) eye clinic.

    Participants

    Veterans with medically treated glaucoma who reported poor adherence and their companions if applicable.

    Methods

    Participants, and their companions if applicable, were randomized to receive an intervention to improve medication adherence that included glaucoma education, personalized disease management suggestions, and a reminder aid, or the control arm that received education regarding general eye health.

    Main outcome measures

    The average proportion of prescribed glaucoma medication doses taken on schedule over the 6 months after randomization according to an electronic monitor between participants in the 2 arms.

    Results

    The mean proportion of prescribed doses taken on schedule was higher in the intervention group compared with controls (0.85 vs. 0.62, P < 0.0001). The difference in proportions between the 2 groups did not vary in regressions models adjusted for companion status, frequency of dosing, and race. The longitudinal model indicated that the intervention group had significantly higher adherence during the first month after randomization and continued to stay higher through 6 months (month by treatment interaction, P = 0.003).

    Conclusions

    A multifaceted intervention can help improve glaucoma medication adherence.
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    Randomized controlled trial of an education-based intervention to improve medication adherence: Design considerations in the medication adherence in glaucoma to improve care study.
    (Clinical trials (London, England), 2021-06) Rosdahl, Jullia A; Hein, Aaron M; Bosworth, Hayden B; Woolson, Sandra; Olsen, Maren; Kirshner, Miriam; Hung, Anna; Muir, Kelly W

    Background

    Glaucoma treatment requires patients to follow daily, often times complex, eye drop regimens, but adherence is poor for many patients, putting them at risk for irreversible vision loss. A comprehensive approach is needed to address the challenges in the self-management of glaucoma. The purpose of this study is to improve glaucoma medication adherence in Veterans with medically treated glaucoma using an education-based intervention.

    Methods/design

    This study is a single-site randomized controlled trial enrolling 200 Veterans and their companions, if companions are involved in their care. It has two arms: an intervention group and a control group. Participants in the intervention group receive an educational session with a non-physician interventionist and are provided with an AdhereTech smart bottle with the reminder functions activated. The control group is designed as an attention control such that they have a session on general eye health and are provided with a smart bottle but without the reminder functions activated. The primary outcome is the proportion of prescribed doses taken on schedule over 6 months following randomization according to the smart bottle. Secondary outcomes include intensification of glaucoma treatment, cost of intervention delivery, and cost-effectiveness of the intervention over 12 months.

    Discussion

    The education-based intervention that we are testing is comprehensive in scope, to encompass a variety of barriers to adherence that glaucoma patients encounter, but personalized to address issues facing individual patients. Particular attention was given to feasibility in the real-world setting, as the high throughput of patients and lack of reimbursement for educational encounters in ophthalmology would limit implementation of a resource-intensive intervention.