Applying a Medication Plan for Safer Medication Treatment in Older Persons - a Feasibility Study
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Patient Safety
- Sponsor
- Region Jönköping County
- Enrollment
- 30
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Feasibility of the intervention
- Status
- Completed
- Last Updated
- 2 years ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Harm from medications is still a concern in an aged population. As medication treatment for older persons many times are complex, a feasibility study can be helpful to support decisions about future evaluation and implementation of an intervention.
In this study, the overall aim is to assess feasibility, acceptability and potential effects of usage of a co-designed medication plan for older persons with medication treatment.
The study will take place in the primary care setting in Sweden, and involve persons 75 years or older using five or more medications on daily basis, physicians at primary care centers and persons supporting the older person in their medication use a home.
During an appointment, the physician and older person will agree on a medication plan, that will be documented in the older person's electronic health record and printed out on paper.
After three month, the potential outcomes of a medication plan will be collected, together with data about feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. Two questionnaires will be used, addressing usability and patient safety. Moreover, remote interviews with participants will be performed to address usability and patient safety. Information about the medication plan will be collected from the electronic health record. Data analysis will be done with descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.
Expected outcomes are an assessment of feasibility and acceptability, and potential outcomes, to support decision on a future evaluation of the medication plan.
Investigators
Malin Holmqvist
PhD student, pharmacist
Region Jönköping County
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Physicians and nurses: regular contact with the older person regarding medications, employment at a primary care center and ability to understand and communicate in Swedish
- •Older persons: age \>75 years old, five or more medications on a regular basis and ability to understand and communicate in Swedish
- •Next-of-kin: age \> 18 years old, regular contact with the older person regarding medications, ability to understand and communicate in Swedish
Exclusion Criteria
- •Older persons: impaired cognitive ability affecting the ability to provide informed consent (Diagnosis code for dementia) and late palliative phase, here defined as estimated life expectancy shorter than six months
- •Next-of-kin: impaired cognitive ability affecting the ability to provide informed consent
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Feasibility of the intervention
Time Frame: Three months
For feasibility of the intervention, the secondary outcome measures will be analyzed together to address the feasibility of chosen study methods and of the intervention of using a co-designed medication plan
Secondary Outcomes
- Patient safety(Three months)
- Usability of the medication plan(Three months)
- Acceptability of the intervention(Three months)
- Healthcare utilisation(Three months)