Abstract
BackgroundResearch has shown that patients are most susceptible to medication‐related problems (MRPs) when transitioning from hospital to home. Currently, the literature in this area focuses on interventions, which are mainly orientated around the perspective of the health‐care professional and do not take into account patient perspectives and experiences.ObjectiveTo capture the experiences and perceptions of Australian patients regarding MRPs following discharge from hospital.DesignA cross‐sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Thematic analysis was conducted of the qualitative data.Setting and participantsSurvey participants were recruited through The Digital Edge, an online market research company. Five hundred and six participants completed the survey.ResultsA total of 174 participants self‐reported MRPs. Two concepts and seven subthemes emerged from the analysis. The first concept was types of MRPs and patient experiences. Three themes were identified: unwanted effects from medicines, confusion about medicines and unrecognized medicines. The second concept was patient engagement in medication management, of which four themes emerged: informing patients, patient engagement, communication amongst health‐care professionals and conflicting advice.Discussion and conclusionThis study provides an important insight into patients’ experiences and perceptions of MRPs following discharge from hospital. Future direction for practice and research should look into implementing patient‐centred care at the time of hospital discharge to ensure the provision of clear and consistent information, and developing ways to support and empower patients to ensure a smooth transition post‐discharge from hospital.
Highlights
A growing body of evidence has firmly established that patients are most susceptible to experiencing adverse events during the transition from hospital to home.[1,2] It is estimated that approximately 20% of patients have experienced at least one adverse event when transitioning from hospital to home.[2,3] In Australia, medication-related hospital admissions cost approximately $1.2 billion annually.[4]
Health-care providers have recognized the importance of improving medication safety during the transition from hospital to home.[5,6]
EASSEY et al Medication safety refers to the collective systems and strategies used to ensure medicines are used to reduce the risk of avoidable harm and enhance health outcomes.[7]
Summary
A growing body of evidence has firmly established that patients are most susceptible to experiencing adverse events during the transition from hospital to home.[1,2] It is estimated that approximately 20% of patients have experienced at least one adverse event when transitioning from hospital to home.[2,3] In Australia, medication-related hospital admissions cost approximately $1.2 billion annually.[4]. Medication safety refers to the collective systems and strategies used to ensure medicines are used to reduce the risk of avoidable harm and enhance health outcomes.[7] Factors such as age and polypharmacy (taking five or more regular medications), health status and health literacy are known to be associated with a higher risk of experiencing medication-related problems.[8,9,10] In the current literature, it has been suggested that the majority of issues related to medication safety are due to disorganized processes and designs within the health-care system.[11,12,13] Recently, research has predominantly focused on medication safety interventions that improve systems of care and professional behaviour.[14] these were based on the perspective and assessment of the health providers and do not take into account patient perspective and experience.[15,16,17]. The second concept was patient engagement in medication management, of which four themes emerged: informing patients, patient engagement, communication amongst health-care professionals and conflicting advice. Discussion and conclusion: This study provides an important insight into patients’ experiences and perceptions of MRPs following discharge from hospital. Future direction for practice and research should look into implementing patient-centred care at the time of hospital discharge to ensure the provision of clear and consistent information, and developing ways to support and empower patients to ensure a smooth transition post-discharge from hospital
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