Browsing by Author "Antoniou, Sotiris"
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- Anticoagulants utilization in Portugal: are there inequalities?Publication . Costa, Filipa A.; Teixeira, Inês; Vilão, Sérgio; Antoniou, Sotiris
- Awareness campaign on Atrial Fibrillation in Portuguese community pharmacies - preliminary resultsPublication . Aguiar, João; Costa, Filipa; Loban, Trudie; Antoniou, Sotiris; International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce
- Benefits of active involvement of community pharmacists in know your pulse awareness campaignPublication . Antoniou, Sotiris; Papastergiou, John; Rango, Fabio De; Griffiths, Dale; Hamedi, Nadya; Williams, Helen; Murillo, Maria Dolores; Tous, Salvador; Lobban, Trudie; Costa, Filipa Alves da; International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce
- Creating an Interprofessional guideline to support patients receiving oral anticoagulation therapy: a Delphi exercisePublication . Damen, Nikki L.; Van den Bemt, Bart J. F.; Hersberger, Kurt E.; Papastergiou, John; Costa, Filipa Alves da; Rydant, Silas; Wartenberg, Naomi S.; Lobban, Trudy; Arnet, Isabelle; Antoniou, Sotiris; International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce (iPACT)Background: Oral anticoagulation therapy has proven beneficial impact on the prevention of thromboembolic events. However, the use of antocoagulatns also increases the risk of bleeds. To maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of the treatment, guidance on appropriate use of oral anticoagulants is essential. An international guideline describing relevant components and requirements for pharmaceutical care for patients receiving a therapy woth oral antocoagulants would increase the quality of care. However, recommendations on pharmaceutical care for patients on anticoagulation is lacking. Objective: This study aims to develop an interprofessional guideline to support patients in their use of oral anticoagulation therapy. Method: Two systematic literature searches were performed on existing guidelines on the management and interventions to improve-oral anticoagulant use, to generate possible recommendations. Subsequently, an international expert panel with 26 pharmacists with extensive experience in clinical and/or scientific work on anticoagulation from a total of 22 European and 4 non-European countries was constituted. With this (geographically well distributed) expert panel, a four-round internet-based Delphi technique was conducted to reach consensus on their relevance. Items were ranked on a 1-10 scale of agreement. A median agreement score of ≥ 7.5 was considered the threshold for consensus. Levels of importance were rated on a 1-3 scale. Setting A global network of 26 pharmacists specialized in oral antocoagulation therapy. Main outcome measure Development of inter-professional guideline. Results: After the four Delphi rounds 18 guideline recommendations were formulated. Consensus of opinion was achieved for all recommendations (median agreement: 8.5-10.0), whereas mean levels of importance were between 1.1 and 2.0 (SD: 0.2-0.7). The following domains were rated as most important targets for improving the care around oral anticoagulation: 'INR-monitoring', 'Transfer of care between health care settings', 'Adherence to medication', 'Patient communication and engagement', and 'Medication reconciliation and medication review'. Conclusion: The 18 recommendations included in this guideline provide the base for optimization of anticoagulation care across different countries/healthcare systems. Future work involves translating the guideline recommendations into clinical practice. Once implemented, the recommendations of the guideline will support health care providers with the pharmaceutical care for patients on, oral anticoagulation which will improve the effective and safe use of these medicines.
- Pharmaceutical counselling on anticoagulation – Identifying needs of German community pharmaciesPublication . Laven, Anna; Rango, Fabio de; Rydant, Silas; Costa, Filipa; Antoniou, Sotiris; International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce
- Pharmacists’ confidence when providing pharmaceutical care on anticoagulants, a multinational surveyPublication . Papastergiou, John; Kheir, Nadir; Ladova, Katerina; Rydant, Silas; Rango, Fabio De; Antoniou, Sotiris; Viola, Reka; Murillo, Maria Dolores; Steurbaut, Stephane; Costa, Filipa Alves daBackground: Guidelines on the management of orally anticoagulated patients are continuously evolving, leading to an increased need for pharmacists to be fully integrated in care provision.
- Raising awareness and early detection of atrial fibrillation, an experience resorting to mobile technology centred on informed individualsPublication . Cunha, Sara; Antunes, Eduardo; Antoniou, Sotiris; Tiago, Sália; Relvas, Rui; Fernandez-Llimós, Fernando; Costa, Filipa Alves daBackground: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac arrhythmia responsible for one third of ischemic strokes. Early detection of AF plays an important role in preventing embolic stroke. Objectives: This study aimed to test the feasibility of an awareness event including opportunistic screening for atrial fibrillation; and to test the reliability of the innovative portable electrocardiogram (ECG) device used. Methods: An awareness campaign was held during two weeks, where individuals consenting to participate in a pharmacist-led detection event, received a manual pulse check, were clinically evaluated and subject to a single-lead electrocardiogram using AliveCor Kardia® mobile. ECGs highlighted as possible AF were confirmed by the cardiologist and those signalled with abnormalities in cardiac rhythm were referred to their physician. Data were collected in a password protected application and analyzed using SPSS, v.24. The Kardia® mobile's sensitivity and specificity was tested against the standard 12-lead ECG. Results: The awareness event involved 223 individuals, among which 205 were screened. Mean age was 66 years (SD = 15) and hypertension was the most frequently reported (n = 107; 52.2%). Mean CHAD2DS2- VASc score was 3 (SD = 1.8). Cardiac irregularities were identified in 45 individuals, 14 confirmed to be new cases of AF (6.8%) by the cardiologist. The sensitivity and specificity were 90.9% and 97.4%. Conclusion: Data suggests this device to be potentially useful for opportunistic early detection of AF, provided interprofessional collaboration is guaranteed so that suspect cases are adequately managed and in a timely way. Fourteen new cases of AF were identified in the population studied, suggesting the pharmacist working in a multiprofessional context, may have had an important role in preventing potential ischemic-related strokes with this initiative. All healthcare professionals involved in the patient pathway should play a more active role in contributing to better health outcomes, particularly within primary care.
- The patient pathway in cardiovascular care: a position paper from the International Pharmacists for Anticoagulation Care Taskforce (iPACT)Publication . Costa, Filipa Alves da; Rydant, Sylas; Antoniou, Sotiris"Background: This position paper highlights the opportunistic integral role of the pharmacist across the patient pathway utilizing cardiovascular care as an example. The paper aims to highlight the potential roles that pharmacists worldwide can have (or already have) to provide efficient patient care in the context of interprofessional collaboration. Methods: It results from a literature review and experts seeking advice to identify existing interventions and potential innovative interventions. We developed a conceptual framework highlighting seven critical phases in the patient pathway and for each of those listed some of the initiatives identified by our experts worldwide. Results: Existing pharmacists' interventions in each of these phases have been identified globally. Various examples in the area of prevention and self‐management were found to exist for long; the contribution for early detection and subsequently to timely diagnosis were also quite clear; integration of care was perhaps one of the areas needing greater development, although interventions in secondary care were also quite common. Tertiary care and end of life interventions were found to often be left for other healthcare professionals. Conclusion: On the basis of the findings, we can argue that much has been done but globally consider that pharmacists are still an untapped resource potentially useful for improved patient care."