Exploring patient and pharmacist perspectives on complex interventions for cardiovascular prevention: A qualitative...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Disease Management
• Health Services Research
• Qualitative Research Methods

Background:

• The Assessing outcomes of enhanced Chronic disease Care through patient Education and a value-baSed formulary Study (ACCESS) evaluated interventions for high-risk cardiovascular disease patients.
• Interventions included copayment elimination for cardioprotective medications and a tailored self-management support program.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate participant perspectives on interventions targeting barriers to care for high-risk cardiovascular disease patients.
• To understand the impact of copayment elimination and tailored education on patient experiences.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study design.
• Individual semi-structured telephone interviews and in-person focus groups with patients and pharmacists.
• Inductive thematic analysis of collected feedback.

Main Results:

• Copayment elimination improved quality of life and medication adherence, though not all costs were covered.
• Educational materials enhanced confidence, adherence, and provider communication, but some found them repetitive or not tailored enough.
• Pharmacists observed improved patient adherence and communication due to both interventions.

Conclusions:

• Participant reception to both interventions was largely positive, with noted criticisms.
• Intervention success hinges on perceived helpfulness, with these interventions demonstrating positive participant perceptions.
• Process evaluation provided valuable insights into patient and pharmacist experiences with the ACCESS trial interventions.