JULY 24, 2019 BY KENDAL BACHARACH

Study Spotlight: ADAPTABLE

The ADAPTABLE (Aspirin Dosing: A Patient-centric Trial Assessing Benefits and Long-Term Effectiveness) Study set out three years ago to compare the effectiveness of two commonly prescribed doses of aspirin to prevent heart attacks and strokes in those living with heart disease. While it is widely known that aspirin is effective for this purpose, researchers have yet to identify which dose is best— low dose 81 mg (“baby aspirin”) or 325 mg, a regular strength dose. Headed out of Duke University and funded by PCORI (Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute), this innovative project sought to enroll 15,000 patients from 40 health care systems and one health plan across the United States. In addition, the ADAPTABLE Study sought to change the way in which research was conducted by working closely with patient partners, known as Adaptors. Adaptors were involved in many aspects of the research and their input helped shape the project, including designing the protocol, consent forms, study portal, and study materials.

The PaTH Network was an eager participant in the pragmatic trial with Johns Hopkins University, Penn State University, Temple University, and the University of Pittsburgh jumping on board to recruit from their respective health systems. Recruitment occurred through various modes including traditional recruitment efforts such as emails and direct mailings, often paired with telephone calls. Some of the PaTH teams also used innovative methods to recruit such as electronic patient portals and Best Practice Alerts (BPAs). BPAs can be especially useful when recruiting participants because they notify health care providers using electronic health record systems when a patient may qualify for a study. Therefore, BPAs help to facilitate conversations between clinicians and potential study participants during face-to-face encounters. Patients are also able to ask questions of their providers to determine whether or not the study might be a good fit for them given their health concerns.

Nationwide the ADAPTABLE Study was able to reach their goal of enrolling 15,000 participants in late June and closed enrollment to the project on July 1st, 2019. Over the course of these last three years, the PaTH Network achieved great success in their recruitment efforts. Current PaTH sites enrolled over 1900 participants (Johns Hopkins University: 370; Ohio State University: 91; Penn State College of Medicine: 275; Temple University: 86; University of Michigan: 434; University of Pittsburgh: 678)! As a network, PaTH would like to thank the teams that participated in the ADAPTABLE Study. Jennifer Kraschnewski, MD, and lead PaTH Principal Investigator for the ADAPTABLE Study states, "We are grateful for your support of the ADAPTABLE Aspirin Study. This study will draw to a close in December 2019 and we want to thank you for your continued participation. This valuable research could not be realized without you or your selfless contributions to medical research".

Stay tuned to find out the results of the ADAPTABLE Study as we hope to learn more about which dose of aspirin is most effective in preventing heart attacks or strokes in those living with heart failure. For additional information, please visit www.theaspirinstudy.org.