Patient involvement in medication safety in hospital: an exploratory study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Research
• Patient Safety
• Medication Management

Background:

• Medication errors are prevalent among hospital inpatients, with limited success of current interventions.
• Enhancing patient involvement in medication management is a potential complementary strategy.
• Research on effective patient engagement interventions for inpatient medication safety is scarce.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent of patient engagement in medication safety behaviors during hospitalization.
• To determine patients' desired level of involvement in their medication management.
• To explore healthcare professionals' support for increased patient engagement in medication safety.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative questionnaire study was conducted in an NHS hospital Trust.
• 100 patients and 104 healthcare professionals completed surveys assessing medication safety involvement.
• Data were analyzed descriptively, with exploratory comparisons between respondent groups.

Main Results:

• A majority of patients and healthcare professionals supported greater patient involvement in medication management.
• A significant disparity was observed between patients' desired and experienced levels of involvement.
• Female patients and those under 65 reported a higher desire for involvement; pharmacists and nurses showed more support than doctors.

Conclusions:

• Both patients and healthcare professionals advocate for enhanced patient participation in hospital medication safety.
• Interventions are necessary to address the identified gap between desired and actual patient involvement.
• Future strategies should focus on facilitating greater patient engagement to improve medication safety outcomes.