Knowledge Assessment During the Medication Process Use by Older Patients on Clinical Routine: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Geriatric Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Health Literacy

Background:

• Increasing medication consumption in older adults necessitates understanding medication knowledge (MK).
• Lack of MK can negatively impact medication use and health outcomes.
• Assessing MK in daily clinical practice is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To pilot a new tool for assessing medication knowledge in older patients.
• To identify specific gaps in medication knowledge among elderly patients.
• To explore the relationship between MK, health literacy, and treatment adherence.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory cross-sectional study of patients aged 65+ on two or more medications.
• Data collected via structured interviews using an algorithm to assess MK (identification, use, storage).
• Health literacy and treatment adherence were also evaluated.

Main Results:

• 49 older patients enrolled; 30.6% demonstrated a lack of medication knowledge (score <50%).
• Lowest scores were observed for "drug strength" and "storage conditions".
• Medication knowledge positively correlated with health literacy and treatment adherence; younger patients had higher MK.

Conclusions:

• The developed tool effectively assesses medication knowledge in older adults.
• Identified specific gaps in MK, particularly concerning drug strength and storage.
• Further research with larger cohorts is needed to develop targeted interventions to improve MK and health outcomes.