Woman and Man
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Extract
Background and study aims In the last century, advances in medicine have led to people living much longer as previously fatal diseases are now treatable. Many people, particularly those over the age of 60, are living with two or more long-term medical conditions (multimorbidity). These patients often need to take a range of different medications to control their conditions (polypharmacy). In some cases, the prescribing of medications may not be appropriate and patients are given too much or too little of what they actually need. Many studies have tried to improve this and ensure that patients are prescribed all the medicines they actually need, however many have been unsuccessful. This may be because studies have not considered the views and opinions of patients or the way that health professionals make decisions about which medicines are needed. The aim of this study is to try to design a programme in order to improve polypharmacy prescribing practices of GP’s for older people. Who can participate? GP practices in Northern Ireland willing to take part in the study, the GPs who work there and adult patients over the age of 65 who take at least 4 different medications. What does the study involve? GPs who work at participating practices that consent to take part in the study are given access to an online video which shows how to best prescribe multiple medications to older patients in a normal consultation. The video also contains feedback about why this approach works well. Appropriate patients are then invited to come in to see their GP for an appointment to review their medications. After each consultation, both the GPs and the patients complete anonymous feedback questionnaires to provide their opinions about the consultations. The results of these questionnaires are then reviewed to find out how acceptable the approach is. There are no specific follow-up appointments, but for the patients taking part, their medical records are reviewed 4 weeks later in order to see if there has been any change to their medication following the consultation. What are the possible benefits and risks of participating? There are no direct benefits or risks to participants taking part in the study. Where is the study run from? The study is run from Queen’s University Belfast and takes place in two GP practices in Northern Ireland (UK) When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for? April 2015 to September 2015 Who is funding the study? Dunhill Medical Trust (UK) Who is the main contact? Professor Carmel Hughes
Inclusion criteria
- Polypharmacy in older people