TY - JOUR
T1 - E-learning in order to improve drug prescription for hospitalized older patients
T2 - A cluster-randomized controlled study
AU - Franchi, C.
AU - Tettamanti, Mauro
AU - Djade, C. D.
AU - Pasina, Luca
AU - Mannucci, Pier Mannuccio
AU - Onder, G.
AU - Gussoni, Gualberto
AU - Manfellotto, Dario
AU - Bonassi, Stefano Aurelio
AU - Salerno, Francesco
AU - Nobili, Alessandro
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of an e-learning educational program meant to foster the quality of drug prescription in hospitalized elderly patients. Methods: Twenty geriatric and internal medicine wards were randomized to intervention (e-learning educational program) or control (basic geriatric pharmacology notions). Logistic regression analysis was used in order to assess the effect of the intervention on the use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM, primary outcome) at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were a reduced prevalence of at least one potential drug-drug interaction (DDI) and potentially severe DDI at discharge. Mortality rate and incidence of re-hospitalizations were other secondary outcomes assessed at the 12-month follow-up. Results: A total of 697 patients (347 in the intervention and 350 in the control arms) were enrolled. No difference in the prevalence of PIM at discharge was found between arms (OR 1.29 95%CI 0.87-1.91). We also found no decrease in the prevalence of DDI (OR 0.67 95%CI 0.34-1.28) and potentially severe DDI (OR 0.86 95%CI 0.63-1.15) at discharge, nor in mortality rates and incidence of re-hospitalization at 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: This e-learning educational program had no clear effect on the quality of drug prescription and clinical outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients. Given the high prevalence of PIMs and potential DDIs recorded in the frame of this study, other approaches should be developed in order to improve the quality of drug prescription in this population.
AB - Aims: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of an e-learning educational program meant to foster the quality of drug prescription in hospitalized elderly patients. Methods: Twenty geriatric and internal medicine wards were randomized to intervention (e-learning educational program) or control (basic geriatric pharmacology notions). Logistic regression analysis was used in order to assess the effect of the intervention on the use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM, primary outcome) at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes were a reduced prevalence of at least one potential drug-drug interaction (DDI) and potentially severe DDI at discharge. Mortality rate and incidence of re-hospitalizations were other secondary outcomes assessed at the 12-month follow-up. Results: A total of 697 patients (347 in the intervention and 350 in the control arms) were enrolled. No difference in the prevalence of PIM at discharge was found between arms (OR 1.29 95%CI 0.87-1.91). We also found no decrease in the prevalence of DDI (OR 0.67 95%CI 0.34-1.28) and potentially severe DDI (OR 0.86 95%CI 0.63-1.15) at discharge, nor in mortality rates and incidence of re-hospitalization at 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: This e-learning educational program had no clear effect on the quality of drug prescription and clinical outcomes in hospitalized elderly patients. Given the high prevalence of PIMs and potential DDIs recorded in the frame of this study, other approaches should be developed in order to improve the quality of drug prescription in this population.
KW - Comprehensive geriatric assessment
KW - Drug prescription
KW - Drug-drug interaction
KW - E-learning
KW - Elderly people
KW - Potentially inappropriate medication
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U2 - 10.1111/bcp.12922
DO - 10.1111/bcp.12922
M3 - Article
JO - British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
JF - British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology
SN - 0306-5251
ER -