Adherence and Health Outcomes after Liver Transplantation The goal of this R01 application is to determine the extent to which patient factors impact on adherence and health outcomes after liver transplantation (LTX). Transplantation is the only option for survival of end stage iver disease;demand far exceeds supply yet little is known about which patients benefit most from the procedure. There are clear links between treatment adherence and health outcomes both in general medicine and in other transplant patient populations. Determining which LTX patients are at risk of non- adherence and suboptimal health outcomes is an ongoing dilemma for clinicians and a significant public health issue;failure to do so is costly to the healthcare system and society. The proposed research will be the first known prospective study of adherence to the multifaceted LTX regimen.
Specific aims of this longitudinal study are to 1) prospectively characterize adherence to medication taking, appointment keeping, and recommendedlifestyle changes over the first post-txpyear and identify latent classesof adherence trajectories;2) determine salient individual and environmental factors that underlie variation in adherence and predict health outcomes. Adherence will be tracked with interviews, electronic medication monitors, and medical records review over the first year;individual and environmental patient factors will be assessedwith self report measures and interviews at 1-2, 6, and 12 months post-transplant;morbidity and, secondarily, mortality will be trackedwith medical records review over the remainder of the study period. This study will be conducted in collaboration with the Thomas E. Starzl Institute, at the University of PittsburghMedical Center;all adult recipients who survive the acute post-transplant period will be eligible. Recruitment will occur over a 2.5 year period and sample size is projected to be approximately 300 recipients. The long-term goal of this project is to develop guidelines for transplant clinicians to identify patients prior to or early after transplantation who are at risk of non-adherence and sub-optimal health outcomes for targetedpatient- specific interventions to maximize benefit of LTX. The application of this research would serve as the basis to advance significantly the nation's capacity to protect and preserve health in transplant populations.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NR009878-04
Application #
7547048
Study Section
Nursing Science: Adults and Older Adults Study Section (NSAA)
Program Officer
Jett, Kathleen
Project Start
2006-03-02
Project End
2010-12-31
Budget Start
2009-01-23
Budget End
2009-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$318,271
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Schools of Nursing
DUNS #
004514360
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Stilley, Carol S; Terhorst, Lauren; Flynn, William B et al. (2014) Medication health literacy measure: development and psychometric properties. J Nurs Meas 22:213-22
Stilley, Carol S; Flynn, William B; Sereika, Susan M et al. (2012) Pathways of psychosocial factors, stress, and health outcomes after liver transplantation. Clin Transplant 26:216-22
Stilley, Carol S; DiMartini, Andrea F; Tarter, Ralph E et al. (2010) Liver transplant recipients: individual, social, and environmental resources. Prog Transplant 20:68-74
Stilley, Carol S; DiMartini, Andrea F; de Vera, Michael E et al. (2010) Individual and environmental correlates and predictors of early adherence and outcomes after liver transplantation. Prog Transplant 20:58-66; quiz 67
Wade, J; Crews, D (1992) Sexual dimorphisms in the soma size of neurons in the brain of whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus species). Brain Res 594:311-4
Wade, J; Crews, D (1991) The effects of intracranial implantation of estrogen on receptivity in sexually and asexually reproducing female whiptail lizards, Cnemidophorus inornatus and Cnemidophorus uniparens. Horm Behav 25:342-53
Wade, J; Crews, D (1991) The relationship between reproductive state and ""sexually"" dimorphic brain areas in sexually reproducing and parthenogenetic whiptail lizards. J Comp Neurol 309:507-14