Tweeting for Trials

A new Twitter application by TrialX allows patients to use do-it-yourself social media to find clinical studies that match their health and disease profile. TrialX also lets patients with electronic personal health records like Microsoft HealthVault or Google Health import their information instead of filling out online pre-screening forms to be matched for trials. Clinical trials are an import mechanism for patients to gain access to experimental therapies particularly for diseases with few treatment options.

“Eighty percent of consumers who are online are searching for health information,” says Sharib Khan, co-founder of the new TrialX platform. As many as two million of them are looking specifically for clinical trials or new disease treatments. They frequently discover sites like ClinicalTrials.gov, the massive registry of the NIH, but can quickly get overwhelmed trying to sort through the listings to find a few potentially suitable trials. >Full Story: eCliniqua

. . .only 3% of cancer patients participate in trials but surveys have shown that many more would like to participate if only they were aware of trials and had a simple way to access trial information. >Full Story: TrialX Blog

As an alternative patients can now send a "Tweet" to TrialX (@trialx) with the keyword "CT" for clinical trial followed by pertinent health information as in the following examples:

@trialx CT find studies for my father, 62 with pancreatic cancer in Raleigh area

@trialx CT 55 yo female with multiple sclerosis in Chicago, Illinois

After sending the Tweet the TrialX application will send a reply Tweet in about 1-2 minutes with a link to the TrialX page listing matching clinical trials. If patients prefer not to divulge their health profile for privacy reasons they can simply "Follow" the @trialx on Twitter and send the Tweet as a direct message. They will then receive a private reply with their matching trials.

. . .this new Twitter-based TrialX [application]. . .provides consumers another simple and yet effective tool to find information that may give them access to a new life-saving treatment and an avenue for them to help further medical research. >Full Story: TrialX Blog

Patients Who Don't Take Their Medications Pay a Price

Patients who don't take their medications as prescribed have more frequent hospitalizations, and a higher risk of death.

"One study cited in the report found that the death rate among diabetic and heart patients was 7 percent among patients who took their medications diligently, but 12 percent among patients who did not. Hospitalization rates showed similar gaps. . .Doing more to educate patients about their disease and their medications, especially as they leave the hospital, also appears to work. . .Case managers and pharmacists can also play a role, some studies say. Lowering costs also can improve adherence." >Full Story: Boston.com

Keeping patients on their medicines is a pressing healthcare problem.

Tylenol Liver Toxicity – What You Need to Know

Unintentional overdose with acetaminophen, found in Tylenol and over 200 over-the-counter and prescription medicines, is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the U.S. and United Kingdom. Acetaminophen liver toxicity is an active area of public health concern by the FDA and a number of initiatives are planned or under consideration to reduce this risk. These initiatives include stronger warnings on over-the-counter acetaminophen-containing products, eliminating acetaminophen from certain combination prescription pain products, and reducing the maximum daily and individual dose recommendations. Acetaminophen liver toxicity is influenced by a number of factors including maximum daily dose, alcohol intake, nutritional status, and co-administration with certain other drugs. Here is what you need to know:

1. The maximum daily recommended dose in adults is currently 4 g per day. Take no more than 1 g per individual dose. To be safe adults should take less than this, but never more than directed. Consult your pediatrician for appropriate dosing information in infants and children.

2. Look for the generic name acetaminophen (not the brand name Tylenol) on labels of all medicines you take. Toxicity can easily occur by unknowingly combining multiple acetaminophen-containing prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Acetaminophen is found in hundreds of medicines including many prescription pain products (like Vicodan and Percocet) and over-the-counter (OTC) cold and flu medicines (like NyQuil, DayQuil, and Therflu). Acetaminophen is known as paracetamol in European countries.

3. Chronic alcohol ingestion, prolonged fasting, and poor nutritional status can greatly reduce the daily amount of acetaminophen needed to cause significant liver injury in patients.

4. Consult your pharmacist about whether any of the prescription drugs you take might interact negatively with acetaminophen.

The importance of reading the labels of all OTC products you take cannot be over emphasized.