Long-term use of secondary prevention medications for heart failure in Western Australia: a protocol for a population-based cohort study.
Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, debilitating and progressive disease associated with high morbidity and mortality. Evidence-based medications (EBMs) are the cornerstone of management of patients with HF. In Australia, these EBMs are subsidised by the Commonwealth Government under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Suboptimal dispensing and non-adherence to these EBMs have been observed in patients with HF. Our study will investigate trends in dispensing patterns, as well as adherence and persistence of EBMs for HF. We will also identify factors influencing these patterns and their impact on long-term clinical outcomes.



This whole population-based cohort study will use longitudinal data for people aged 65-84 years who were hospitalised for HF in Western Australia between 2003 and 2008. Linked state-wide and national data will provide patient-level information on medication dispensing, medical visits, hospitalisations and death. Drug dispensing trends will be described, drug adherence and persistence estimated and the association with all-cause/cardiovascular death and hospitalisations reported.



This project has received approvals from the Western Australian Department of Health Human Research Ethics Committee and the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee. Results will be published in relevant cardiology journals and presented at national and international conferences.
School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Xiwen
X
Qin
School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.|National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Tiew-Hwa Katherine
TK
Teng
Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital Unit, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Joseph
J
Hung
School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Tom
T
Briffa
School of Population Health, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
Frank M
0000-0003-3639-0787
FM
Sanfilippo
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology
adherence and persistence; drug dispensing patterns; evidence-based pharmacotherapy; outcome measure