Perception of Medication Safety-Related Behaviors Among Different Age Groups: Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Limited understanding exists on how older adults perceive medication safety behaviors in ambulatory settings.
• Previous research and advocacy groups have proposed various medication safety behaviors for older adults.
• This study addresses the gap in knowledge regarding older adults' perspectives on these behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess older adults' perceptions of the importance and reasonableness of eight key medication safety behaviors.
• To compare these perceptions between older and younger adults in ambulatory care settings.
• To identify potential age-specific differences in the evaluation of medication safety practices.

Main Methods:

• A survey of 1222 US adults was conducted using crowdsourcing to evaluate medication safety behaviors.
• Eight specific behaviors were assessed, including medication confirmation, refill management, and patient portal use.
• Participants rated the importance and reasonableness of behaviors on a 5-point Likert scale, with statistical analyses comparing age groups.

Main Results:

• Older adults (65+) rated all eight medication safety behaviors as significantly more important and reasonable than younger adults.
• Confirming medications was ranked highest in importance, while knowing medications was highest in reasonableness for both groups.
• Using patient portals was perceived as the least important and reasonable behavior by both age demographics.

Conclusions:

• Older adults demonstrate a higher perceived value for medication safety behaviors compared to younger adults.
• A significant correlation exists between the perceived importance and reasonableness of these behaviors across all participants.
• Tailored patient engagement strategies, considering age-specific needs, are recommended to enhance medication safety in ambulatory care.