Clinical outcomes from the use of Medication Report when elderly patients are discharged from hospital.
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.


METHODS
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.


METHODS
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.
Midlöv
Patrik
P
Tåbelund Primary Health Care Centre, Eslöv, Sweden. patrik.midlov@skane.se
Deierborg
Eva
E
Holmdahl
Lydia
L
Höglund
Peter
P
Eriksson
Tommy
T
D000368:Aged; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010359:Patient Readmission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013548:Sweden
D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations