| 1. |
- Hellström, Lina, et al.
(author)
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Impact of the Lund Integrated Medicines Management (LIMM) model on medication appropriateness and drug-related hospital revisits.
- 2011
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0031-6970 .- 1432-1041. ; 67:7, s. 741-752
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PurposeTo examine the impact of systematic medication reconciliations when admitted to hospital, and medication review while in hospital, on the number of inappropriate medications and unscheduled drug-related hospital revisits in elderly patients.MethodsA prospective, controlled study in 210 patients, aged 65 years or older, who were admitted to one of three internal medicine wards at a University Hospital in Sweden. Patients received either standard care or care according to the Lund Integrated Medicines Management (LIMM) model. A multi-professional team, including a clinical pharmacist, provided medication reconciliations on admission and medication reviews during the hospital stay for the LIMM group. Blinded reviewers evaluated the appropriateness of the prescribing (using the Medication Appropriateness Index) on admission and discharge, and assessed the probability that a drug-related problem was the reason for any patient readmitted to hospital or visiting the emergency department within three months of discharge (using WHO causality criteria).ResultsThere was a greater decrease in the number of inappropriate drugs in the intervention group than in the control group for both the intention-to-treat population (51% [95% CI 43-58%] versus 39% [95% CI 30-48%], p=0.0446) and the per-protocol population (60% [95% CI 51-67%] versus 44% [95% CI 34-52 %], p=0.0106). There were 6 revisits to hospital in the intervention group which were judged as ‘possibly, probably or certainly drug-related’, compared with 12 in the control group (p=0.0469).ConclusionIn this study, medication reconciliation and reviews provided by a clinical pharmacist in a multi-professional team significantly reduced the number of inappropriate drugs and unscheduled drug-related hospital revisits for elderly patients.
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| 2. |
- Midlöv, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Medication report reduces number of medication errors when elderly patients are discharged from hospital
- 2008
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In: PHARMACY WORLD & SCIENCE. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0928-1231 .- 1573-739X. ; 30:1, s. 92-98
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective To investigate whether a Medication Report can reduce the number of medication errors when elderly patients are discharged from hospital. Method We conducted a prospective intervention with retrospective controls on patients at three departments at Lund University Hospital, Sweden that where transferred to primary care. The intervention group, where patients received a Medication Report at discharge, was compared with a control group with patients of the same age, who were not given a Medication Report when discharged from the same ward one year earlier. Main outcome measures The main outcome measure was the number of medication errors when elderly patients were discharged from hospital. Results Among 248 patients in the intervention group 79 (32%) had at least one medication error as compared with 118 (66%) among the 179 patients in the control group. In the intervention group 15% of the patients had errors that were considered to have moderate or high risk of clinical consequences compared with 32% in the control group. The differences were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Conclusion Medication errors are common when elderly patients are discharged from hospital. The Medication Report is a simple tool that reduces the number of medication errors.
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| 3. |
- Westerlind, Björn, 1961-, et al.
(author)
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Use of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics is associated with falls in nursing home residents : a longitudinal cohort study
- 2019
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In: Aging Clinical and Experimental Research. - : Springer. - 1594-0667 .- 1720-8319. ; 31:8, s. 1078-1095
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BackgroundFalls and related injuries are common among older people, and several drug classes are considered to increase fall risk.AimsThis study aimed to investigate the association between the use of certain drug classes and falls in older nursing home residents in Sweden, and relate these to different age groups.MethodsInformation on falls that occurred in the previous year and regular use of possible fall risk drugs including non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (zopiclone and zolpidem) was collected from 331 nursing home residents during 2008–2011. Over the following 6 months, the occurrence of serious falls, requiring a physician visit or hospital care, was registered. Association between serious falls and drug use was compared between an older (≥ 85 years) and a younger group.ResultsAn increased fall risk (Downton Fall Risk Index ≥ 3) was found in 93% of the study subjects (aged 65–101 years). Baseline data indicated an association between falls that occurred in the previous year and regular use of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics (p = 0.005), but not with the other studied drug classes. During the following 6 months, an association between use of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics and serious falls in the older group (p = 0.017, odds ratio 4.311) was found. No association was found between the other studied drug classes and serious falls.DiscussionThese results indicate an association between falls and the use of non-benzodiazepine hypnotics, compounds that previously have been considered generally well-tolerated in older people.ConclusionsCaution is advocated when using non-benzodiazepine hypnotics regularly in older people living in nursing homes.
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| 4. |
- Midlöv, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Clinical outcomes from the use of Medication Report when elderly patients are discharged from hospital
- 2008
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In: PHARMACY WORLD & SCIENCE. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0928-1231 .- 1573-739X. ; 30:6, s. 840-845
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective The objective of this study was to investigate whether a Medication Report also can reduce the number of patients with clinical outcomes due to medication errors. Method A prospective intervention study with retrospective controls on patients at three departments at Lund University Hospital, Sweden that where transferred to primary care. The intervention group, where patients received a Medication Report at discharge, was compared with a control group with patients of the same age, who were not given a Medication Report when discharged from the same ward one year earlier. For patients with at least one medication error all contacts with hospital or primary care within 3 months after discharge were identified. For each contact it was evaluated whether this was caused by the medication error. We also compared medication errors that have been evaluated as high or moderate clinical risk with medication errors without clinical risk. Main outcome measures Need for medical care in hospital or primary care within three months after discharge from hospital. Medical care is readmission to hospital as well as visits of study population to primary and out-patient secondary health care. Results The use of Medication Report reduced the need for medical care due to medication errors. Of the patients with Medication Report 11 out of 248 (4.4%) needed medical care because of medication errors compared with 16 out of 179 (8.9%) of patients without Medication Report (p = 0.049). The use of a Medication Report significantly reduced the risk of any consequences due to medication errors, p = 0.0052. These consequences included probable and possible care due to medication error as well as administrative procedures (corrections) made by physicians in hospital or primary care. Conclusions The Medication Report seems to be an effective tool to decrease adverse clinical consequences when elderly patients are discharged from hospital care.
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| 5. |
- Ernsth Bravell, Marie, 1973-, et al.
(author)
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How to assess frailty and the need for care? Report from the Study of Health and Drugs in the Elderly (SHADES) in community dwellings in Sweden
- 2011
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In: Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1872-6976 .- 0167-4943. ; 53:1, s. 40-45
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Knowledge about the need for care of elderly individuals in community dwellings and the factors affecting their needs and support is limited. The aim of this study was to characterize the frailty of a population of elderly individuals living in community dwellings in Sweden in relation to co-morbidity, use of drugs, and risk of severe conditions such as malnutrition, pressure ulcers, and falls. In 2008, 315 elderly individuals living in community dwellings were interviewed and examined as part of the SHADES-study. The elderly demonstrated co-morbidity (a mean of three diseases) and polypharmacy (an average of seven drugs). More than half the sample was at risk for malnutrition, one third was at risk for developing pressure ulcers, and nearly all (93%) had an increased risk of falling and a great majority had cognitive problems. Age, pulse pressure, body mass index, and specific items from the modified Norton scale (MNS), the Downton fall risk index (DFRI), and the mini nutritional assessment (MNA-SF) were related to different outcomes, defining the need for care and frailty. Based on the results of this study, we suggest a single set of items useful for understanding the need for care and to improve individual based care in community dwellings. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 6. |
- Bergkvist, Anna, et al.
(author)
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Improved quality in the hospital discharge summary reduces medication errors-LIMM: Landskrona Integrated Medicines Management.
- 2009
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In: European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1432-1041 .- 0031-6970. ; 65, s. 1037-1046
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- PURPOSE: We have developed a model for integrated medicines management, including tools and activities for medication reconciliation and medication review. In this study, we focus on improving the quality of the discharge summary including the medication report to reduce medication errors in the transition from hospital to primary and community care. METHODS: This study is a longitudinal study with an intervention group and a control group. The intervention group comprised 52 patients, who were included from 1 March 2006 until 31 December 2006, with a break during summer. Inclusion in the control group was performed in the same wards during the period 1 September 2005 until 20 December 2005, and 63 patients were included in the control group. In order to improve the quality of the medication report, clinical pharmacists reviewed and gave feedback to the physician on the discharge summary before patient discharge, using a structured checklist. Medication errors were then identified by comparing the medication list in the discharge summary with the first medication list used in the community health care after the patient had returned home. RESULTS: By improving the quality of the discharge summary, patients had on average 45% fewer medication errors per patient (P = 0.012). The proportion of patients without medication errors was 63.5% in the control group and 73.1% in the intervention group. However, this increase was not significant (P = 0.319). Patients who used a specific medication dispensing system (ApoDos) had a 5.9-fold higher risk of suffering from medication errors than those without this medication dispensing system (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Review and feedback on errors in the discharge summary, including the medication report and a correct medication list, reduced medication errors during the transfer of information from hospital to primary and community care.
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| 7. |
- Midlöv, Patrik, et al.
(author)
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Medication errors when transferring elderly patients between primary health care and hospital care
- 2005
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In: PHARMACY WORLD & SCIENCE. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0928-1231 .- 1573-739X. ; 27:2, s. 116-120
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objective: The aims were to evaluate the frequency and nature of errors in medication when patients are transferred between primary and secondary care. Method: Elderly primary health care patients (> 65 years) living in nursing homes or in their own homes with care provided by the community nursing system, had been admitted to one of two hospitals in southern Sweden, one university hospital and one local hospital. A total of 69 patient-transfers were included. Of these, 34 patients were admitted to hospital whereas 35 were discharged from hospital. Main outcome measure: Percentage medication errors of all medications i.e. any error in the process of prescribing, dispensing, or administering a drug, and whether these had adverse consequences or not. Results: There were 142 medication errors out of 758 transfers of medications. The patients in this study used on an average more than 10 drugs before, during and after hospital stay. On an average, there were two medication errors each time a patient was transferred between primary and secondary care. When patients were discharged from the hospital, the usage of a specific medication dispensing system constituted a significant risk for medication errors. The most common error when patients were transferred to the hospital was inadvertent withdrawal of drugs. When patients left the hospital the most common error was that drugs were erroneously added. Conclusion: Medication errors are common when elderly patients are transferred between primary and secondary care. Improvement in documentation and transferring data about elderly patients' medications could reduce these errors. The specific medication dispensing system that has been used in order to increase safety in medication dispensing does not seem to be a good instrument to reduce the number of errors in transferring data about medication.
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