Empowering Recovery Through Bedside Medication Accessibility

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Patient Care Management
• Pharmacoeconomics

Background:

• Hospital readmissions pose a significant burden on healthcare systems and patient well-being.
• Medication non-adherence is a primary driver of preventable hospital readmissions.
• The Meds to Beds (MTB) program was developed to improve medication access and adherence at hospital discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Meds to Beds (MTB) program in reducing 90-day hospital readmission rates.
• To assess the impact of bedside medication delivery and counseling on patient outcomes.
• To identify key interventions within the MTB program that contribute to reduced readmissions.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-center study conducted at a community teaching hospital.
• Inclusion of 63 patients discharged with new prescriptions, utilizing a within-subject, pre-post intervention design.
• Statistical analysis using paired t-tests to compare 90-day readmission rates before and after MTB implementation.

Main Results:

• A significant reduction in the mean number of admissions from 1.52 pre-intervention to 0.47 post-intervention (p < 0.001).
• Successful bedside medication delivery, prescription retrieval, and personalized counseling were key components.
• Identified and addressed patient-specific barriers to medication access, including cost and transportation.

Conclusions:

• The Meds to Beds program significantly decreases hospital readmission rates.
• Enhanced medication adherence and patient satisfaction were observed following MTB implementation.
• The findings support the expansion of MTB programs to improve care quality and reduce healthcare costs.