Inpatients Self-Administration of Medication: Stakeholders' views and prerequisites

To identify stakeholders' views on inpatient Self-Administration of Medication and corresponding prerequisites for successful implementation.

Self-Administration of Medication allows capable patients to manage their medication regimen throughout hospitalisation. It is assumed to facilitate continuity of care, increase medication safety and patient empowerment. To enable sustainable implementation stakeholders should support it. Knowledge about stakeholders' views regarding Self-Administration of Medication is currently lacking.

A qualitative study was conducted among stakeholders using semi-structured interviews.

Using purposive and snowball sampling fourteen representatives from Dutch healthcare associations, organisations and authorities were interviewed between April and July 2019. These stakeholders were asked to reflected on Self-Administration of Medication and its implementation. Data were examined using inductive thematic content analysis and reported following the COREQ checklist.

Most stakeholders were positive towards Self-Administration of Medication and foresaw benefits in terms of the following: improvements to patient-centred care, contributions to sustainable use of healthcare assets and the need and opportunity for change. Critical concerns included reflecting potential risks for patient safety, concerns about implementation feasibility and questions regarding implementation necessity. Stakeholders highlighted prerequisites pertaining to the implementation process in which the following two themes emerged: (1) initiate a supported change and (2) perform research for best practices and identification of benefits. Other prerequisites concerned distinct levels within healthcare including individual patients (i.e. adequate communication), hospital organisation (i.e. to establish a workflow to secure medication safety) and healthcare system (i.e. to facilitate multidisciplinary collaboration in healthcare).

Stakeholders were predominantly positive about Self-Administration of Medication. For successful and sustainable implementation of Self-Administration of Medication, prerequisites identified in this study should be met.

This study provided knowledge about stakeholders' views which could foster implementation and evaluation of Self-Administration of Medication, which may, in turn, promote effective deployment and patient empowerment.