title: [Knowledge of treatments in hospital patients: a necesary tool for safety in health care].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the quantity and quality of drug information that patients receive in hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study conducted in February 2011, by designing and conducting a structured questionnaire on 60 patients: 30 inpatients and 30 outpatients. Descriptive analysis of the results was performed including, number and level of knowledge of medication treatment versus the "real" one, globally analysed by age and route of administration.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 234 drugs were analysed in the inpatient group. It was considered that 45/234 (19.2%;95% CI: 14-25) were known properly by patients. In outpatients, this rises to 29/42 (69.0%;95% CI: 53-82). One third (33.3%) of patients check the medication before it is administered or provided. Inpatients are more aware of orally administered drugs, they knew 28.6% vs 5.1% of parenteral treatments. Just under half (45.3%) of inpatients and 2.4% of outpatients completely unknown the medication. The average age of patients with no knowledge of their medication was 68.5 years (SD=10.1) and had 8.7 drugs prescribed (SD=3.0). A total of 53.3% of inpatients and 93.3% of outpatients, considered to have been properly informed. Most of patients (96.7%) were satisfied with the information received.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results show an opportunity for improvement in the information given to patients, particularly to inpatients. To inform them, would enable them to act as a filter to potential medication errors, and as a necessary part to improve the safety of care.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Farmacia, Hospital Universitario del Río Hortega, Valladolid, España. marisp243@hotmail.com
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Santos-Pérez
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: García-Rodicio
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abajo del Álamo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004333:Drug Administration Routes; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D063046:Patient Medication Knowledge; D061214:Patient Safety; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D019338:Polypharmacy; D013030:Spain; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations