Mistry Punam, Stirling Heather, Callens Claire, Hodson James, Batchelor Hannah
School of Pharmacy, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Paediatrics, University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Coventry, UK.
BMJ Open. 2018 Jul 11;8(7):e021961. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021961.
To evaluate the age appropriateness and suitability of patient-reported outcome measures to assess the acceptability of the taste of oral liquid medicines in children.
An observational mixed-methods study involving children aged 2-16 years taking oral liquid medicine in paediatric inpatient wards across the West Midlands (UK). Assessment tools included patient-reported scores on the taste of medicines via a five-point Facial Hedonic Scale; a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS); a question, 'Did you think the medicine tasted OK?' and researcher observations of facial expressions and behaviours immediately before, during and after administration.
611 children participated. The percent unable to complete the scales was 7% (n=46) for the VAS; 2% (n=15) for the hedonic scale and 1% (n=7) for the question about taste. Significant correlations (Spearman's r) were observed between the patient-reported outcome measures: 0.80 and 0.78 for the taste question and hedonic and VAS, respectively, and 0.84 for the hedonic and VAS. Researcher observations demonstrated the ability of the patient to take the medicine as intended but did not provide sensitive measures of taste. 5% of administrations were not taken as intended by the children. Medicines known to have poor taste (clarithromycin and prednisolone) showed mean hedonic and VAS scores of ≥3.5 and >65 mm, respectively.
Patient-reported outcome measures correlate with each other and are a useful means to assess the taste (and acceptability) of medicines. Hedonic scales are better understood by children and should be the first choice tool in the assessment of medicines taste.
评估患者报告结局指标在评估儿童口服液体药物口味可接受性方面的年龄适宜性和适用性。
一项观察性混合方法研究，涉及英国西米德兰兹地区儿科住院病房中2至16岁服用口服液体药物的儿童。评估工具包括患者通过五点面部愉悦量表报告的药物口味评分；视觉模拟量表（VAS）；一个问题“你认为这药味道还好吗？”以及研究人员在给药前、给药期间和给药后对面部表情和行为的观察。
611名儿童参与。VAS量表无法完成的比例为7%（n = 46）；愉悦量表为2%（n = 15）；关于口味问题的为1%（n = 7）。患者报告结局指标之间观察到显著相关性（斯皮尔曼r）：口味问题与愉悦量表和VAS的相关性分别为0.80和0.78，愉悦量表与VAS的相关性为0.84。研究人员的观察表明患者能够按预期服用药物，但未提供对口味的敏感测量。5%的给药未按儿童预期进行。已知口味不佳的药物（克拉霉素和泼尼松龙）的平均愉悦量表和VAS评分分别≥3.5和>65毫米。
患者报告结局指标相互关联，是评估药物口味（和可接受性）的有用手段。儿童更容易理解愉悦量表，应作为评估药物口味的首选工具。
