Quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals: an audit of electronic patient records.

Background Low quality of medication information in discharge summaries from hospitals may jeopardize optimal therapy and put the patient at risk for medication errors and adverse drug events. Objective To audit the quality of medication information in discharge summaries and explore factors associated with the quality. Setting Helgelandssykehuset Mo i Rana, a rural hospital in central Norway. Method For each month in 2013, we randomly selected 60 discharge summaries from the Department of Medicine and Surgery (totally 720) and evaluated the medication information using eight Norwegian quality criteria. Main outcome measure Mean score per discharge summary ranging from 0 (lowest quality) to 16 (highest quality). Results Mean score per discharge summary was 7.4 (SD 2.8; range 0-14), significantly higher when evaluating medications used regularly compared to mediations used as needed (7.80 vs. 6.52; p < 0.001). Lowest score was achieved for quality criteria concerning generic names, indications for medication use, reasons why changes had been made and information about the source for information. Factors associated with increased quality scores are increasing numbers of medications and male patients. Increasing age seemed to be associated with a reduced score, while type of department was not associated with the quality. Conclusion In discharge summaries from 2013, we identified a low quality of medication information in accordance with the Norwegian quality criteria. Actions for improvement are necessary and follow-up studies to monitor quality are needed.

An audit and feedback intervention study increased adherence to antibiotic prescribing guidelines at a Norwegian hospital.

BACKGROUND: Appropriate antibiotic prescribing is associated with favourable levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and clinical outcomes. Most intervention studies on antibiotic prescribing originate from settings with high level of AMR. In a Norwegian hospital setting with low level of AMR, the literature on interventions for promoting guideline-recommended antibiotic prescribing in hospital is scarce and requested. Preliminary studies have shown improvement potentials regarding antibiotic prescribing according to guidelines. We aimed to promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing in patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) at a respiratory medicine department in a Norwegian University hospital. Our specific objectives were to increase prescribing of appropriate empirical antibiotics, reduce high-dose benzylpenicillin and reduce total treatment duration. METHODS: We performed an audit and feedback intervention study, combined with distribution of a recently published pocket version of the national clinical practice guideline. We included patients discharged with CAP or AECOPD and prescribed antibiotics during hospital stay, and excluded those presenting with aspiration, nosocomial infection and co-infections. The pre- and post-intervention period was 9 and 6 months, respectively. Feedback was provided orally to the department physicians at an internal-educational meeting. To explore the effect of the intervention on appropriate empirical antibiotics and mean total treatment duration we applied before-after analysis (Student's t-test) and interrupted time series (ITS). We used Pearson's χ2 to compare dose changes. RESULTS: In the pre-and post-intervention period we included 253 and 155 patients, respectively. Following the intervention, overall mean prescribing of appropriate empirical antibiotics increased from 61.7 to 83.8 % (P < 0.001), overall mean total treatment duration decreased from 11.2 to 10.4 days (P = 0.015), and prescribing of high-dose benzylpenicillin decreased from 48.8 to 38.6 % (P = 0.125). With ITS we found that six months post-intervention, the effect on appropriate empirical antibiotic prescribing had increased and sustained, while the effect on treatment duration was at pre-intervention level. CONCLUSION: The combination of audit and feedback plus distribution of a pocket version of guideline recommendations led to a substantial increase in prescribing of appropriate empirical antibiotics, which is important due to favourable effect on AMR and clinical outcomes.

A pharmacist-led follow-up program for patients with established coronary heart disease in North Norway - a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was twofold; 1) to develop a clinical pharmacist-led 12 month lasting follow-up program for patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD) discharged from the University Hospital of North Norway, and 2) to explore the impact of the program with regards to adherence to a medication assessment tool for secondary prevention of CHD and change in biomedical risk factors. METHODS: A total of 102 patients aged 18-82 years were enrolled in a non-blinded randomized controlled trial with an intervention group and a control group. The intervention comprised medication reconciliation, medication review and patient education during three meetings; at discharge, after three months and after twelve months. The control group received standard care from their general practitioner. Primary outcomes were adherence to clinical guideline recommendations concerning prescription, therapy goal achievement and lifestyle education defined in the medication assessment tool for secondary prevention of CHD (MAT-CHDSP). Secondary outcomes included changes in the biomedical risk factors cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose. RESULTS: Ninety-four patients completed the trial, 48 intervention group patients and 46 controls. Appropriate prescribing was high, but therapy goal achievement was low in both groups. Overall adherence to MAT-CHDSP criteria increased in both groups and was significantly higher in the intervention group at study end, 78.4% vs. 62.0%, p<0.001. The difference was statistically significant for the documented lifestyle advices in intervention group patients. No significant improvements in biomedical risk factors were observed in favor of the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: The study showed an increased guideline adherence in both study groups. This indicates that attention to clinical practice guideline recommendations in itself increases adherence - which may be a clinical pharmacist task. A larger adequately powered study is needed to show a significant difference in biomedical risk factor improvements in favor of the intervention. Amendments to the follow-up program are suggested before implementation in standard patient care can be recommended.

A pharmacist-led follow-up program for patients with established coronary heart disease in North Norway - a randomized controlled trial / / Programa farmacéutico de seguimiento para pacientes con enfermedad coronaria establecida en el norte de Noruega - Ensayo controlado aleatorizado

Objectives: The aim of the study was twofold; 1) to develop a clinical pharmacist-led 12 month lasting followup program for patients with established coronary heart disease (CHD) discharged from the University Hospital of North Norway, and 2) to explore the impact of the program with regards to adherence to a medication assessment tool for secondary prevention of CHD and change in biomedical risk factors. Methods: A total of 102 patients aged 18-82 years were enrolled in a non-blinded randomized controlled trial with an intervention group and a control group. The intervention comprised medication reconciliation, medication review and patient education during three meetings; at discharge, after three months and after twelve months. The control group received standard care from their general practitioner. Primary outcomes were adherence to clinical guideline recommendations concerning prescription, therapy goal achievement and lifestyle education defined in the medication assessment tool for secondary prevention of CHD (MAT-CHDSP). Secondary outcomes included changes in the biomedical risk factors cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose. Results: Ninety-four patients completed the trial, 48 intervention group patients and 46 controls. Appropriate prescribing was high, but therapy goal achievement was low in both groups. Overall adherence to MAT-CHDSP criteria increased in both groups and was significantly higher in the intervention group at study end, 78.4% vs. 62.0%, p<0.001. The difference was statistically significant for the documented lifestyle advices in intervention group patients. No significant improvements in biomedical risk factors were observed in favor of the intervention group. Conclusions: The study showed an increased guideline adherence in both study groups. This indicates that attention to clinical practice guideline recommendations in itself increases adherence - which may be a clinical pharmacist task. A larger adequately powered study is needed to show a significant difference in biomedical risk factor improvements in favor of the intervention. Amendments to the follow-up program are suggested before implementation in standard patient care can be recommended (AU)

Objetivos: El objetivo del presente estudio fue doble: 1) desarrollar un programa de seguimiento farmacéutico de 12 meses de duración para pacientes con enfermedad coronaria establecida (CHD) dados de alta del Hospital Universitario de Noruega del Norte, y 2) explorar el impacto del programa en relación a un instrumento de evaluación para la prevención secundaria de CHD y cambios en los factores de riesgo biomédicos. Métodos: Se incluyeron en un estudio controlado aleatorizado no cegado un total de 102 pacientes de 18- 82 años. La intervención consistió en reconciliación de la medicación, revisión de la medicación, y educación del paciente en tres encuentros: al alta, después de 3 meses y después de 12 meses. El grupo control recibió los cuidados habituales de su médico general. Los outcomes primarios fueron la adherencia a las guías de práctica clínica relativa a la prescripción, la consecución de los objetivos terapéuticos y los hábitos de vida definidos en el instrumento de evaluación de la prevención secundaria de CHD (el MAT-CHDSP). Los outcomes secundarios incluían cambios en los factores biomédicos de riesgo, como colesterol, presión arterial y glucemia. Resultados: 94 pacientes completaron el ensayo, 48 en el grupo intervención y 46 controles. La prescripción adecuada fue elevada, pero la consecución de los objetivos terapéuticos fue baja en ambos grupos a lo largo del estudio. La adherencia total a los criterios del MAT-CHDSP aumentó en ambos grupos, y fue significativamente mayor en el grupo intervención al final del estudio, comparado con el control (78.4% vs. 60.2%, respectivamente, p<0.001). La diferencia fue estadísticamente significativa para los estilos de vida aconsejados en los pacientes del grupo intervención. No se observaron cambios significativos en los factores biomédicos de riesgo a favor del grupo intervención. Conclusiones: El estudio mostró un aumento de adherencia a las guías en ambos grupos. Esto indica que la atención a las recomendaciones de las guías de práctica clínica por sí mismo aumenta la adherencia - lo que podría ser una tarea del farmacéutico. Se necesita un estudio mayor y con más poder para mostrar una diferencia significativa en la mejoría a favor de la intervención de los factores biomédicos de riesgo. Pueden recomendarse modificaciones a los programas de seguimiento que mejoren la implantación en los cuidados normales de los pacientes (AU)

Whom are we treating with lipid-lowering drugs? Are we following the guidelines? Evidence from a population-based study: the Tromso study 2001.

OBJECTIVE: The beneficial effect of lipid-lowering drugs (LLDs) is well documented. Despite increasing sales of LLDs, little is known about what characterizes LLD users. Our objective was to describe LLD users in a general population according to socio-demographic factors, cardiovascular risk factors and coronary heart disease (CHD), and to study the achievement of cholesterol treatment goals according to national guidelines. METHODS: The Tromso study is a population-based study of chronic diseases, risk factors and drug use in the municipality Tromso, in north Norway. The fifth survey was conducted in 2001 and included 7,973 men and women (attendance rate 78.1%). Self-reported use of LLDs and/or proprietary LLDs was included as LLD use in the analysis. RESULTS: LLD use was reported in 9.6% of all women and 14.0% of all men, of whom 36.5% achieved the nationally recommended lipid goal. Among individuals with CHD, 49.9% of all women and 55.4% of all men were LLD users. The individuals with a risk condition (hypertension and/or diabetes) and total cholesterol level above the target of 5.0 mmol/l and the healthy individuals with total cholesterol level >/=8.0 mmol/l constituted 47.2% of the study population without CHD. In this group, which was eligible for primary prevention, 8.0% of the women and 7.4% of the men reported LLD use. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of all subjects with CHD were taking a LLD. The large discrepancy between national recommendations and actual LLD use in primary prevention should be addressed in future revisions of the guidelines.