title: A controlled before and after study to evaluate a patient and health professional partnership model towards effective medication reconciliation.
abstract: Preventable medication errors impact substantially on the Australian healthcare system. Where 'poor communication of medical information at transition points is responsible for as many as 50% of all medication errors', a leading contributor for this type of medication error is lack of consumer knowledge about medicines information. This study was aimed at designing and testing the effectiveness of a consumer-healthcare professional partnership model towards effective medication reconciliation. This model aims to empower consumers about their medicines information, so that they would contribute more effectively to medication reconciliation and thereby minimise medication errors occurring at transition points. Components of this model were informed by qualitative data gleaned from patient opinion surveys, focus group sessions involving nurses, doctors and pharmacists working at the hospital and results of a literature search of medication safety tools. Programme development was informed by health improvement approaches centred on a Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle. Evaluation for effectiveness was conducted within a framework of a controlled before and after study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  revealed that there was a 1.4-fold increase in the reporting rate of pharmacists intervention. The study could not demonstrate that the designed intervention was effective in minimising near-misses. However, there is statistically insignificant reduction in errors for patients that were correctly exposed to the intervention. Anecdotal evidence suggests there is utility for a patient population keen to claim greater ownership of their medicines information. Further, we advocate that patient education about medicines and the establishment of a consumer-healthcare professional model occur prior to ward admission.
authors: Pharmacy Department, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia. Senthil.Lingaratnam@petermac.org
authors: Senthil
authors: S
authors: Lingaratnam
authors: Sanchia
authors: S
authors: Aranda
authors: Tracy
authors: T
authors: Pearce
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Kirsa
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D015331:Cohort Studies; D057186:Comparative Effectiveness Research; D054626:Consumer Health Information; D017144:Focus Groups; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006284:Health Plan Implementation; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059065:Medication Reconciliation / Q000379:methods*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D063046:Patient Medication Knowledge; D010358:Patient Participation; D010564:Personnel, Hospital; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014739:Victoria