Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32043116›Full record

SynthesisAge and ageing2020

Successful care transitions for older people: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of interventions that support medication continuity.

Justine Tomlinson, V-Lin Cheong, Beth Fylan, Jonathan Silcock, Heather Smith, Kate Karban, Alison Blenkinsopp

Open access · hybridAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Age and ageing, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 83 papers, 11 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
83citing papers in PubMed, 11 pooled it
9.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

83 citing papers in PubMed, 11 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 173 citations in OpenAlex.

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23 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Justine TomlinsonSchool of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
V-Lin CheongPharmacy Department, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, S10 2JF, UK.
Beth FylanSchool of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
Jonathan SilcockSchool of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
Heather SmithMedicines Management and Pharmacy Services, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, St James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF, UK.
Kate KarbanFaculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
Alison BlenkinsoppSchool of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1DP, UK.
University of Bradford · GBSt James's University Hospital · GBBradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GBSheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust · GB

Funding

Department of Health PB-PG-0317-20010
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundmedication-related problems occur frequently when older patients are discharged from hospital. Interventions to support medication use have been developed; however, their effectiveness in older populations are unknown. This review evaluates interventions that support successful transitions of care through enhanced medication continuity.

methodsa database search for randomised controlled trials was conducted. Selection criteria included mean participant age of 65 years and older, intervention delivered during hospital stay or following recent discharge and including activities that support medication continuity. Primary outcome of interest was hospital readmission. Secondary outcomes related to the safe use of medication and quality of life. Outcomes were pooled by random-effects meta-analysis where possible.

resultstwenty-four studies (total participants = 17,664) describing activities delivered at multiple time points were included. Interventions that bridged the transition for up to 90 days were more likely to support successful transitions. The meta-analysis, stratified by intervention component, demonstrated that self-management activities (RR 0.81 [0.74, 0.89]), telephone follow-up (RR 0.84 [0.73, 0.97]) and medication reconciliation (RR 0.88 [0.81, 0.96]) were statistically associated with reduced hospital readmissions.

conclusionour results suggest that interventions that best support older patients' medication continuity are those that bridge transitions; these also have the greatest impact on reducing hospital readmission. Interventions that included self-management, telephone follow-up and medication reconciliation activities were most likely to be effective; however, further research needs to identify how to meaningfully engage with patients and caregivers to best support post-discharge medication continuity. Limitations included high subjectivity of intervention coding, study heterogeneity and resource restrictions.

Indexed as

Patient TransferQuality of LifeAftercareAgedHumansMedication ReconciliationPatient Dischargecontinuity of carehospital dischargemedication managementolder peoplesystematic review

Identifiers

PMID32043116
PMCPMC7331096
OpenAlexW3005551690

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.