Search

This document illustrates the results of the work of two interdisciplinary and multistakeholder panels (researchers, public institutions, and industry representatives) on drug territorialization and digitalization, organized as part of a residential seminar held on 30 September and 1st October 2021. Arising from some considerations about the demand for health and the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the discussion touched various aspects of managing the transition from current to future management models. The importance of identifying criteria for prioritizing interventions in the area emerged: different methods of drug delivery, scientific information and measurement, re-evaluation of pathologies that can be managed in this area. Finally, the role of digitization within this change was explored. The opinions provided by the experts move towards making the most of the opportunities arising from PNRR, in terms of investments in healthcare and data application, with a view to improve health system efficiency, patient care and related outcomes.

This document illustrates the results of the work of two interdisciplinary and multistakeholder panels (researchers, public institutions, and industry representatives) on drug territorialization and digitalization, organized as part of a residential seminar held on 30 September and 1st October 2021. Arising from some considerations about the demand for health and the provisions of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the discussion touched various aspects of managing the transition from current to future management models. The importance of identifying criteria for prioritizing interventions in the area emerged: different methods of drug delivery, scientific information and measurement, re-evaluation of pathologies that can be managed in this area. Finally, the role of digitization within this change was explored. The opinions provided by the experts move towards making the most of the opportunities arising from PNRR, in terms of investments in healthcare and data application, with a view to improve health system efficiency, patient care and related outcomes.

Objective: To assess the incidence and determinants of the triple inhaled therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) primary care patients. Methods: Data derived from the Health Search Database (HSD) gathering information on 700 Italian general practitioners. A cohort of COPD patients, prescribed for the first time with inhaled treatments, was followed-up between January 2002 and December 2014. The outcome was the first incident prescription of a triple inhaled therapy, namely the combination of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), long-acting beta agonists (LABA), and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA). Cox regressions were used to test the association (hazard ratios, HR) between candidate determinants and the outcome. Results: Out of 17589 patients (mean age 71.1 +/- 11.3 years; 37.4% females), 3693 (21%) were prescribed with a triple inhaled therapy during follow-up. Older age (HR=1.79 to 2.61), current and former smoking habit (HR=1.72 and 1.66), higher GOLD stage (HR=1.45 to 2.79), the number of moderate and severe COPD exacerbations (HR=1.10 to 2.63), and heart failure (HR=1.17) resulted statistically significantly associated with an increased incident prescription of the triple inhaled therapy. Female sex (HR=0.80) and some co-morbidities (HR=0.21 to 0.87) resulted negatively associated with the outcome. Furthermore, patients initially treated with LAMA (HR=1.5) and LABA/ICS (HR=1.23) were more likely to escalate to the triple therapy, than those on LABA. Conversely, patients initially treated with ICS presented a negative hazard (HR=0.72). Conclusions: The knowledge of demographic and clinical determinants of the escalation to the triple inhaled therapy in real-world COPD patients may help clinicians to better personalize respiratory pharmacological treatments of their patients, and inform international societies that issue clinical guidelines.

Valeria Gatti,1 Paolo Banfi,2 Stefano Centanni,3 Salvatore D’Antonio,4 Saffi Giustini,5 Alessio Piraino,6 Marco Zibellini,1 Maria Giulia Marini1 1Health Care Area, Fondazione ISTUD, Milan, Italy; 2Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi IRCCS, Milan, Italy; 3Respiratory Unit, ASST San Paolo e San Carlo, Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; 4Italian Patient’s Association “BPCO ONLUS”, Rome, Italy; 5Italian General Practitioners’ Association “SIMG”, Florence, Local Health Unit of Montale, Pistoia, Italy; 6Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A, Parma, Italy Purpose: The primary aim of this research was to raise awareness for COPD through real narratives of patients, caregivers, and pulmonologists. The second objective includes providing clinicians new means of caring for and treating patients with COPD.Methods: Using narrative medicine, testimonies from patients, their caregivers, and clinicians were collected through an online questionnaire enriched by a narrative plot. Narrations were analyzed throughout descriptive statistics and an elaboration of recurring words and expressions.Results: Throughout the project, 350 narratives were collected from 235 patients, 55 caregivers, and 60 physicians. Though a generally neutral reaction had been observed upon diagnosis, COPD had been found to have a high impact on the patients’ and caregivers’ lives. Metaphors utilized by patients and caregivers were suggestive of fear and panic unlike those utilized by clinicians who usually had a more technical approach. Smoking was a significant concern for not only patients and caregivers but also clinicians.Conclusion: Physicians are therefore challenged to find new ways of communicating COPD to raise awareness on this pathology and encourage corrective habits. An important social objective should be the implementation of a health system that is able to optimize patients’ and caregi