The effectiveness of direct to healthcare professional communication - A systematic review of communication factor studies

Mathias Møllebæk; Susanne Kaae; Marie Louise De Bruin; Torbjörn Callréus; Sukhwinder Jossan; Christine E Hallgreen

doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.06.015

The effectiveness of direct to healthcare professional communication - A systematic review of communication factor studies

Res Social Adm Pharm. 2019 May;15(5):475-482. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.06.015. Epub 2018 Jun 21.

Authors

Mathias Møllebæk¹, Susanne Kaae², Marie Louise De Bruin³, Torbjörn Callréus⁴, Sukhwinder Jossan⁵, Christine E Hallgreen⁶

Affiliations

¹ Copenhagen Centre for Regulatory Science, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Section for Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: mathias.moellebaek@sund.ku.dk.
² Section for Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ Copenhagen Centre for Regulatory Science, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
⁴ Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁵ Ferring Pharmaceuticals, Copenhagen, Denmark.
⁶ Copenhagen Centre for Regulatory Science, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.

PMID: 31130181
DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2018.06.015

Abstract

Background: Direct to healthcare professional communication (DHPC) is the prevalent regulatory measure to inform about and potentially mitigate newly identified drug risks in EU and USA. According to multiple studies and reviews, however, the effectiveness of DHPC to reduce risk is less than optimal. Prior systematic reviews have indicated that contextual, qualitative knowledge of communication factors related to the clinical setting is needed to further explain and supplement findings in quantitative effectiveness studies.

Objectives: This article systematically reviews studies of DHPC and, on that basis, describes the communication factors that influence the effectiveness of DHPC in order to discuss future research trajectories.

Methods: PubMed, Scopus (including Embase) and Web of Science databases were searched for studies on communication about emergent drug risk to healthcare professionals, excluding studies limited to the quantifiable effect of communication. The search results were deductively categorized using the Communication Sequence Model. Then, prevalent themes within categories were identified and described using thematic analysis.

Results: A total of 16 studies published between 1993 and 2017 were included; 12 based on surveys, 2 on document analysis, and 2 primarily on interviews. The prevalent themes included "Health Care Professionals (HCPs) have less trust in communication from industry than authorities and medical associations", "HCPs have diverse preferences for how to receive drug risk information" and "Clinical usability of the presented information is less than optimal."

Conclusion: Communication factors in DHPCs are multiple, multi-facetted and are examined primarily by surveys. Future research would benefit from identifying nationally dependent factors and employing methods that better provide knowledge on the qualitative reception and handling of drug risk communication.

Keywords: Communication factors; Direct to healthcare professional communication; Pharmacovigilance; Risk minimization measures.

Publication types

Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions*
Health Communication*
Health Personnel
Humans