Complex Mechanisms of Disease, Aging and Trauma (CMDAT) Research Foundation, PO Box 460722, Denver, CO, 80246, USA.
BioDrugs. 2018 Oct;32(5):499-506. doi: 10.1007/s40259-018-0301-6.
No data exist regarding oncology/hematology team members' knowledge of and views on biosimilars in Colorado, USA. Published research has suggested that health professionals may have a poor understanding of many issues related to biosimilars.
Our goal was to increase oncology/hematology team members' knowledge of biosimilars and then use an anonymous online survey to assess the knowledge gained. We also aimed to examine oncology/hematology team members' overall interest in the subject and their motivation to learn more about biosimilars in the future.
In phase I of the project, we developed printed materials covering many topics related to biosimilars, such as definition, regulation, and interchangeability, and the potential of biosimilars in optimal combination therapy for cancer. We distributed our brochures to each participating oncology/hematology office in Colorado. The oncology/hematology team members were then asked to complete the survey.
A total of 62 team members responded to our survey. Nearly three-quarters of participants were oncology nurses or oncology nurse practitioners. More than 90% of survey respondents identified correct answers about the definition, regulations, interchangeability, safety, cost issues, and use of biosimilars in oncology and in older patients with cancer. Overall, and compared with those who had low levels of interest and motivation, significantly more (p < 0.05) study participants were interested in the subject of biosimilars [57 (92%) vs. 5 (8%)], motivated to learn more about them [59 (95%) vs. 3 (5%)], and interested in sharing information about biosimilars with colleagues and patients [51 (82%) vs. 11 (18%)].
Our results demonstrate that oncology/hematology team members participating in our study became familiar with many important issues related to biosimilars. Many survey respondents were highly motivated to participate in future training focused on biosimilars, which should pave the way for new educational projects in the area.
在美国科罗拉多州，尚无肿瘤/血液学团队成员对生物类似药的了解和看法的数据。已发表的研究表明，卫生专业人员可能对许多与生物类似药相关的问题了解甚少。
我们的目标是提高肿瘤/血液学团队成员对生物类似药的认识，然后使用匿名在线调查来评估所获得的知识。我们还旨在检查肿瘤/血液学团队成员对该主题的整体兴趣以及他们将来进一步了解生物类似药的动机。
在项目的第一阶段，我们开发了涵盖许多与生物类似药相关主题的印刷材料，如定义、监管和可互换性，以及生物类似药在癌症最佳联合治疗中的潜力。我们将宣传册分发给科罗拉多州的每个参与肿瘤/血液学办公室。然后要求肿瘤/血液学团队成员完成调查。
共有 62 名团队成员对我们的调查做出了回应。近四分之三的参与者是肿瘤护士或肿瘤执业护士。超过 90%的调查受访者正确识别了生物类似药在肿瘤学和老年癌症患者中的定义、法规、可互换性、安全性、成本问题和使用等方面的答案。总体而言，与那些兴趣和动力较低的人相比，更多（p < 0.05）的研究参与者对生物类似物这一主题感兴趣[57（92%）比 5（8%）]，更有动力了解更多相关信息[59（95%）比 3（5%）]，并对与同事和患者分享生物类似物信息感兴趣[51（82%）比 11（18%）]。
我们的结果表明，参与我们研究的肿瘤/血液学团队成员熟悉了许多与生物类似药相关的重要问题。许多调查受访者非常有动力参与未来的生物类似物培训，这将为该领域的新项目铺平道路。
