title: Medicine information exchange networks among healthcare professionals and prescribing in geriatric medicine wards.
abstract: Effective transfer of information is vital for rational drug therapy. This is particularly important for older patients, who have a high prevalence of polypharmacy and are managed by multidisciplinary teams. We aimed to assess medicine information exchange (MIE) networks in geriatric medicine wards and whether they are associated with prescribing patterns.
  
  
  
  We conducted network analysis in acute geriatric medicine wards from four hospitals to characterize MIE networks among multidisciplinary team members. Corresponding patient data were collected to analyze high-risk prescribing in conjunction with network characteristics.
  
  
  
  We found that junior doctors, senior nurses and pharmacists were central to MIE across all four hospitals. Doctors were more likely than other professions to receive medicines information in three hospitals. Reciprocity and the tendency to communicate within one's own profession also influenced network formation. No difference was observed in prescribing practice between hospitals.
  
  
  
  Understanding MIE networks can identify gaps in multidisciplinary communication that can be addressed. Networks may identify targets for dissemination of interventions to improve prescribing.
authors.affiliation: Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Bosco
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Cognitive Decline Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1405-999X
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Reeve
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Slade
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Decline Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Janet C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Long
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Held
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Department of General, Geriatric and Rehabilitation Medicine, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Latt
authors.affiliation: Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Centre for Education and Research on Ageing, University of Sydney and Ageing and Alzheimers Institute, Concord Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: Vasi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naganathan
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia.|University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Gideon A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Caplan
authors.affiliation: Kolling Institute of Medical Research, Royal North Shore Hospital and University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Cognitive Decline Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hilmer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D005853:Geriatrics / Q000379:methods*; D006282:Health Personnel; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D054539:Medication Therapy Management; D009726:Nurses; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010595:Pharmacists; D010820:Physicians; D019338:Polypharmacy
keywords: age 80 and over; drug prescriptions; inappropriate prescribing; network analysis; polypharmacy