Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36897631›Full record

ArticleJMIR medical informatics2023

Barriers and Opportunities for the Use of Digital Tools in Medicines Optimization Across the Interfaces of Care: Stakeholder Interviews in the United Kingdom.

Clare Tolley, Helen Seymour, Neil Watson, Hamde Nazar, Jude Heed, Dave Belshaw

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Article in JMIR medical informatics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

6 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Clare TolleySchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3776-7083
Helen SeymourNorth East and North Cumbria Academic Health Science Network, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2485-7503
Neil WatsonSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5024-8456
Hamde NazarSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3168-5386
Jude HeedSchool of Pharmacy, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6046-6011
Dave BelshawNorth East and North Cumbria Academic Health Science Network, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8461-308X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople with long-term conditions frequently transition between care settings that require information about a patient's medicines to be transferred or translated between systems. This process is currently error prone and associated with unintentional changes to medications and miscommunication, which can lead to serious patient consequences. One study estimated that approximately 250,000 serious medication errors occur in England when a patient transitions from hospital to home. Digital tools can equip health care professionals with the right information at the right time and place to support practice.

objectiveThis study aimed to answer the following questions: what systems are being used to transfer information across interfaces of care within a region of England? and what are the challenges and potential opportunities for more effective cross-sector working to support medicines optimization?

methodsA team of researchers at Newcastle University conducted a qualitative study by performing in-depth semistructured interviews with 23 key stakeholders in medicines optimization and IT between January and March 2022. The interviews lasted for approximately 1 hour. The interviews and field notes were transcribed and analyzed using the framework approach. The themes were discussed, refined, and applied systematically to the data set. Member checking was also performed.

resultsThis study revealed themes and subthemes pertaining to 3 key areas: transfer of care issues, challenges of digital tools, and future hopes and opportunities. We identified a major complexity in terms of the number of different medicine management systems used throughout the region. There were also important challenges owing to incomplete patient records. We also highlighted the barriers related to using multiple systems and their subsequent impact on user workflow, a lack of interoperability between systems, gaps in the availability of digital data, and poor IT and change management. Finally, participants described their hopes and opportunities for the future provision of medicines optimization services, and there was a clear need for a patient-centered consolidated integrated health record for use by all health and care professionals across different sectors, bridging those working in primary, secondary, and social care.

conclusionsThe effectiveness and utility of shared records depend on the data within; therefore, health care and digital leaders must support and strongly encourage the adoption of established and approved digital information standards. Specific priorities regarding understanding of the vision for pharmacy services and supporting this with appropriate funding arrangements and strategic planning of the workforce were also described. In addition, the following were identified as key enablers to harness the benefits of digital tools to support future medicines optimization: development of minimal system requirements; enhanced IT system management to reduce unnecessary repetition; and importantly, meaningful and continued collaboration with clinical and IT stakeholders to optimize systems and share good practices across care sectors.

Indexed as

health informaticshealth information exchangemedicines optimizationpatient safetyqualitativetransfer of care

Identifiers

PMID36897631
PMCPMC10039399

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