3D: a tool for medication discharge education.
BACKGROUND
At the time of transition from hospital to home, many patients are challenged by multi-drug regimens. The authors' standard patient education tool is a personalised Medication Discharge Worksheet (MDW) that includes a list of medications and administration times. Nonetheless, patient understanding, satisfaction, and safety remain suboptimal. Therefore, the authors designed a new tool: Durable Display at Discharge (3D). Unlike MDW, 3D features (1) space in which a tablet or pill is to be affixed and displayed, (2) trade name (if apt), (3) unit strength, (4) number (and/or fraction) of units to be taken, (5) purpose (indication), (6) comment/caution, (7) larger font, (8) card stock durability and (9) a reconciliation feature.


METHODS
The authors conducted an exploratory, randomised trial (n = 138) to determine whether 3D, relative to MDW, improves patient satisfaction, improves patient understanding and reduces self-reported medication errors. Trained survey research personnel, blinded to hypotheses, interviewed patients by telephone 7-14 days after discharge.


RESULTS
Both tools were similarly associated with high satisfaction and few self-reported errors. However, 3D subjects demonstrated greater understanding of their medications.


CONCLUSIONS
Although both tools are associated with similarly high levels of patient satisfaction and low rates of self-reported medication error, 3D appears to promote patient understanding of the medications, and warrants further study.
Manning
Dennis M
DM
Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. manning.dennis@mayo.edu
O'Meara
John G
JG
Williams
Arthur R
AR
Rahman
Ahmed
A
Myhre
Danica
D
Tammel
Karyl J
KJ
Carter
Lisa C
LC
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods; D013664:Teaching Materials; D014481:United States