The Patient Medication List: Can We Get Patients More Involved in Their Medical Care?

Abstract

Background: Patient involvement is essential to maintain accurate and updated medication lists, provide quality care, and decrease potential errors. The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptance of medication lists maintained by patients and if their use affected perceptions of patient and physician responsibility and patients' knowledge of their medical care.Methods: A foldable, wallet-sized medication list card was distributed to a convenience sample of 104 patients >40 years of age at an outpatient residency site. They were also given a survey of demographic variables and the Patient Medication Scale, which measures their perceptions of patient responsibility, physician responsibility, and patients' knowledge of their medical care. They were contacted by phone 4 to 11 months later to ascertain if they were using the medication card and the Patient Medication Scale was readministered.Results: Forty-two of 66 patients contacted after the intervention consented to a full interview. Thirty-eight percent (25 of 66) reported using the card. The patients using the card showed increased scores in perceived patient knowledge and patient responsibility, with no change in their perceptions of physician responsibility. Among the 41 respondents not using the card, approximately half indicated interest in using the card in the future or were using a card of their own.Conclusions

Benefits of medication charts provided at transitions of care: a narrative systematic review

“…The majority of the included studies originated from Germany (18/30 studies, 60%), followed by the USA (5), Australia (3), UK (2), Ireland (1) and Switzerland (1). Study designs (by decreasing order of evidence 28 ) were: 1 systematic review, 29 4 randomised controlled trials (RCT), 30–33 10 cohort studies, 34–43 7 cross-sectional studies, 5 44–49 2 qualitative evaluations, 4 50 4 surveys 51–54 and 2 reports. 55 56 Thirteen studies reported statistically significant results with the use of medication charts.…”

“…Fifty per cent (6/12) of the statistically significant results were observed in the category knowledge 30 32–34 38 41 (see online supplemental D for the corresponding matrix). Patients with access to a medication chart had a better knowledge of their medication that concerned knowledge of indication, 30 33 34 36 41 42 46 51 53 medication name, 34 38 46 dosage 31 32 34 46 51 53 and dosage frequency. 30–32 46 The increase in knowledge was reported by means of patients who answered all questions correctly as follows (intervention group vs control group): 83% (81/98) vs 47% (47/99; p<0.001), 32 66% (48/73) vs 35% (37/106; p<0.001), 38 60% (24/40) vs 17.9% (5/28; p=0.001).…”

The barriers and facilitators people with diabetes from a nonEnglish speaking background experience when managing their medications: a qualitative study

“…Past research shows that simple and current medication lists improve medication management and reduce medication errors (Chae et al . , National Prescribing Service; available at: http://www.nps.org.au, accessed 10 October 2010).…”

Impact of a tailored program on the implementation of evidence-based recommendations for multimorbid patients with polypharmacy in primary care practices—results of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

“…There is consensus that medication lists are an important and useful document for HCP as well as for patients [33, 34], which is emphasized by the fact that the patients’ right to receive a complete medication list has been regularized by the German E-Health law enacted in 2015 (German Social Security Code 5, §31). It is plausible that medication lists have a positive influence on health outcomes.…”