RESUMO
BACKGROUND/AIM: Medication prescription is a fundamental component in the care of the elderly. Several characteristics of aging and geriatric medicine affect prescriptions for these people and make the selection of drug therapy a difficult and complex process. The objective of this study is to develop a geriatric portal for asynchronous online counseling (AGAlink) for use by physicians specializing in family medicine to reduce medication problems among older adult patients in the first level of care. METHOD: A qualitative study was carried out in the first level of care at the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), 31 family doctors were interviewed to identify attitudes, preferences about the use of the AGAlink geriatric portal, as well as their recommendations for the implementation of this tool in their daily practice. For the analysis of the data obtained, a qualitative thematic content analysis was used. RESULTS: 90% of the physicians used the geriatric portal outside office hours without the need for the patient to be present. The perception of the physician towards the use of the AGAlink geriatric portal was favorable, provided relevant information and had several positive effects on the process of care for medical prescription. The barriers identified to accept the change in medication were not having the proposed therapeutic option, lack of any laboratory analysis, continuing to consider their experience for the prescription of the medication. CONCLUSIONS: The AGAlink geriatric portal was a tool that was well received by physicians who expressed a positive attitude, considered an investment of a short time that allowed them to update and learn about strategies to reduce the prescription problems presented among the elderly population. However, the main barrier was the use of technology, especially in the doctors with more seniority in the service.
Assuntos
Aconselhamento , Geriatria , Prescrição Inadequada , Internet , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Adulto , Idoso , Feminino , Diretrizes para o Planejamento em Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Inquéritos e QuestionáriosRESUMO
The process of prescribing a medication is complex and includes: deciding whether it is indicated, choosing the best option, determining the dose and the appropriate management scheme to the physiological condition of the patient, and monitoring effectiveness and toxicity. We have to inform patients about the expected side effects and indications for requesting a consultation. Specific clinical questions were designed based on the acronym PICOST. The search was made in the specific websites of clinical practice guidelines, was limited to the population of older adults, in English or Spanish. We used 10 related clinical practice guidelines, eight systematic reviews and five meta-analyses. Finally, we made a search of original articles or clinical reviews for specific topics. The development and validation of clinical practice guidelines for "rational drug prescriptions in the elderly" is intended to promote an improvement in the quality of prescription through the prevention and detection of inappropriate prescribing in the elderly and, as a result of this, a decrease in the adverse events by drugs, deterioration of health of patients and expenditure of resources.
El proceso de prescribir un medicamento incluye decidir si está indicado, elegir el mejor, determinar una dosis y un esquema de administración adecuados a la condición fisiológica del paciente, el seguimiento de la eficacia y toxicidad. Debe informarse a los pacientes sobre los efectos secundarios esperados y las indicaciones para solicitar la consulta. Para la elaboración de esta guía se formularon preguntas clínicas específicas, con base en el acrónimo PICOST. La búsqueda se realizó en los sitios web específicos de guías de práctica clínica, en inglés o español, y se limitó a la población de adultos mayores. Se usaron 10 guías de práctica clínica relacionadas, ocho revisiones sistemáticas y cinco metaanálisis. Por último, se realizó una búsqueda de artículos originales o revisiones clínicas para aspectos específicos. La elaboración y validación de una guía de práctica clínica para "prescripción farmacológica razonada en el adulto mayor" tiene el propósito de promover una mejora en la calidad de la prescripción médica, mediante la prevención y detección de la prescripción inapropiada en el anciano y como resultado de esto disminuir los eventos adversos originados por fármacos, el deterioro de la salud de los pacientes y el gasto no justificado de los recursos.
