Patients with chronic diseases and polypharmacy (= 5 prescribed long-term drugs) Not Applicable
Conditions
Interventions
During in-patient treatment of chronically ill patients affected by polypharmacy, a pharmacist specially trained in communication skills performs a narrative-based medication review. Apart from detect
Sponsors
German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) (Germany)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Two local hospitals will recruit patients with chronic diseases and polypharmacy meeting the following inclusion criteria: 1. Aged 60+ years 2. Taking = 5 prescribed long-term drugs 3. Likely to spend at least one week in the hospital
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1. Inability to take their medication by themselves 2. Inability to give informed consent (e.g. due to dementia) 3. Severe language difficulties 4. Diseases that usually make poly-pharmacotherapy unavoidable (e.g. active malignoma, acquired immunodeficiencies [HIV], hemodialysis) 5. Presumed life expectancy of less than 12 months Added 20/01/2017: 6. Patients being diagnosed with any type of cancer after recruitment will be excluded from the study
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The two independent main outcomes are: 1. Health-related quality of life, measured using the EQ-5D 2. The difference in the number of prescribed long-term pharmaceutical agents between intervention and control group at T3. Primary outcome is defined as pharmaceutical agents rather than number of drugs because combination drugs are commonly used in Germany. During the baseline and intervention periods, primary outcomes for each patient will be measured at four points in time: at admission to the hospital (T0) and discharge from hospital (T1), as well as 6 (T2) and 12 months (T3) after discharge from the hospital. | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| 1. Appropriateness of prescribed medication 2. Patient satisfaction 3. Patient empowerment 4. Patient autonomy 5. For all patients insured with the largest public German health insurance provider AOK, cost effectiveness and further aspects of quality of care will be analyzed Measured at T0, T2 and T3 | — |
Countries
Germany
Outcome results
None listed