CVP Seminar Series: Balancing Treatment Outcomes and Medication Burden among Patients with Symptomatic Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy

Friday, March 21, 2014

Alyce Adams, PhD, Section Chief, Health Care Delivery and Policy, Kaiser Division of Research and Co-Investigator, UCSF CHARM Training Core

March 21st, 2014

Time: 9am - 10:30am

Dr. Adams' work has focused on the determinants of suboptimal use of potentially beneficial health care services among disparities populations, including racial differences in medication adherence and the impact of changes in health policy on access to high quality health services and health outcomes for vulnerable patients. Dr. Adams is a member of the Kaiser Permanente Disparities Working Group and the Advisory Committee on Quality for the California Health Families Program.

Dr. Adams is currently working on a project funded by PCORI to examine treatment outcomes and medication burden among patients with symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). Painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy affects more than 5.5 million people with diabetes.  Several prescription medications are available for the treatment of DPN symptoms, but none work perfectly and all have side effects that may be difficult for some patients. This cluster randomized control trial will explore whether routinely asking patients about their experiences with medications via interactive voice response and using that information to encourage clinically appropriate titration improve patient quality of life. Asking patients about their experiences can encourage better communication between patients and doctors about treatment, as well as encourage treatment changes that improve patient outcomes. (Source: Kaiser)