title: Medication and Treatment Adherence Following Hospital Discharge.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients' drug regimens often need to be changed when they pass from one care sector to another, but these changes sometimes pose a safety risk. To avoid such risks, a new inter-sector transition concept was developed incorporating discharge medication plans and counseling modules for the patients themselves and the doctors receiving them into their care.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective interventional trial was carried out in two internal medicine wards of a general hospital. After data acquisition from the control group, the transition concept was developed and evaluated in an independent intervention group. The discharge medication plan and the first post-discharge prescription were compared to identify patients who had at least one medication change that increased the post-discharge risk of either failure to achieve the therapeutic goal (category A, first endpoint) or of patient's lack of treatment adherence (category B). Gaps in care after discharge were also analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  200 consecutive patients were enrolled in the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, the percentage of patients with potentially jeopardizing medication changes in category A declined from 54% (54/100) in the control group to 15% (15/100) in the intervention group. (p<0.001). For medication changes in category B, there was a corresponding decline from 53% (53/100) to 7% (7/100) (p < 0.001). Gaps in care were seen in 28% (28/100) of control patients and 18% (18/100) of patients in the intervention group (p = 0.031).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The likelihood of a potentially jeopardizing medication change upon hospital discharge can be markedly reduced with the aid of a modular transition concept. Gaps in care can be closed in this way as well.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacy Department, Konstanz Hospital; Drug Safety Center, Leipzig University and University Hospital of Leipzig, Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, Leipzig University; Konstanz Hospital, Medical Clinic II; Konstanz Hospital, Medical Clinic I; Singen Hospital, Department of Urology and Pediatric Urology.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Greißing
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buchal
authors.forename: Hans-Joachim
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kabitz
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schuchmann
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zantl
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schiek
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bertsche
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010595:Pharmacists; D011446:Prospective Studies; D000074822:Treatment Adherence and Compliance