title: Knowledge of staff members of residential care facilities for individuals with intellectual disability on medication administration via enteral feeding tube.
abstract: Guidelines for the safe administration of drugs through enteral feeding tube (EFT) are an important tool to minimise the risk of errors. This study aimed to investigate knowledge of these guidelines among staff of residential care facilities (RCF) for people with ID.
  
  
  
  Knowledge was assessed using a 13-item self-administered questionnaire. Questions reflected key aspects of guidelines on medication administration via EFT. All staff members that administer medication through EFT in Belgian RCFs were invited to participate (n = 553).
  
  
  
  Nine out of 10 RCFs participated, and 356 questionnaires were collected. Almost all participants were women (96%), and most (82%) had a non-nursing educational background. Mean self-perceived knowledge of medication administration via EFT was 6.7 (on a 0-10 scale). On average, 5.7 (SD 1.9) out of 13 questions were answered correctly. A nursing degree and previous education on medication administration via EFT were associated with significantly higher scores. Guideline recommendations regarding rinsing of used medicine cups (90% correct answers) and preparation of hard gelatin capsules (89%) were known best. Those regarding the use of protective equipment when crushing toxic substances (4% correct answers), crushing of sustained release and enteric-coated dosage forms (6%), elevation of the patient's backrest (14%) and flushing of the EFT (15%) were known the least.
  
  
  
  This study identified a substantial lack of knowledge of guidelines for drug administration through EFT among staff of RCFs for people with ID. Our findings call for tailored educational programmes in order to increase knowledge on this subject.
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Care Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Elke.Joos@UGent.be.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Joos
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Care Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mehuys
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Medical Biochemistry and Clinical Analysis, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Bocxlaer
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Care Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Remon
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Van Winckel
authors.affiliation: Pharmaceutical Care Unit, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boussery
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009740:Nursing Staff / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D012112:Residential Facilities / Q000592:standards*
keywords: ID; enteral feeding tube; guideline; knowledge; medication administration; residential care facility