title: Polypharmacy reviews among elderly populations project: assessing needs in patient-provider communication.
abstract: Adults sixty-five years of age and older are a growing population, and are the largest consumers of prescription and nonprescription medications in the United States with potentially increased medication interaction risks. Therefore, an investigation to determine if elderly populations at two minority serving, independent housing sites perceived any issues regarding their medication use, including any communication challenges with their providers. The data were collected using a survey in which participants had to recall information about their medication use and past provider interaction. Participants (N=21; 90.5% female; using 5.1 ± 2.6 medications) completed a needs assessment. Results indicated that patients felt comfortable talking to their doctors. However, the communication that occurs may not have included education on polypharmacy. Many participants did not believe that they could describe details about their medications, such as the purpose (47.6%), instructions (42.9%), side effects (66.7%), and the possible risk of addiction (42.9%). This assessment indicates a need for an intervention that is focused on communication about polypharmacy and medication review education.
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA. atakane@hawaii.edu
authors: Alain K
authors: AK
authors: Takane
authors: Mia-Danica
authors: MD
authors: Balignasay
authors: Claudio R
authors: CR
authors: Nigg
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D019338:Polypharmacy; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs
keywords: Elderly Adults; Geriatric; Multiple Medication Use; Patient-Physician Communication; Polypharmacy
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