File(s) under permanent embargo
Self-administration of medication in hospital: patients' perspectives
journal contribution
posted on 2004-01-01, 00:00 authored by Elizabeth ManiasElizabeth Manias, C Beanland, Robin Riley, Linda BakerBackground. Little information is available about patients' perspectives on self- or nurse-related administration of medication.
Aim. The aim of the study was to determine patients' perspectives about self-medication in the acute care setting.
Methods. A qualitative approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews, was taken. Ten patients with a chronic medical illness who had experienced multiple hospital admissions for treatment were interviewed about their experiences of medication administration in the acute care setting. Participants were recruited from two cardiovascular wards in a private, not-for-profit hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection occurred between August and September 2002.
Findings. Four major themes were identified from the interviews: benefits of self-administration, barriers to self-administration, assessing appropriateness of self-administration and timing of medication administration. Seven participants had previously experienced self-administration of medications and six were in favour of this practice in the clinical setting. Nine managed their own medications at home, and one self-administered with some assistance from his family. Participants were very concerned about how nurses' heavily regulated routines affected delivery of medications in hospital and disrupted individualized plans of care maintained in the home setting.
Conclusions. In planning and implementing self-administration programmes, it is important to consider patients' views. Medication regimes should be simple and flexible enough to adapt to patients' lifestyles and usual routines. Nurses should also take advantage of opportunities to support and facilitate patient autonomy, to enable more effective management of health care needs when patients return home.
Aim. The aim of the study was to determine patients' perspectives about self-medication in the acute care setting.
Methods. A qualitative approach, using in-depth semi-structured interviews, was taken. Ten patients with a chronic medical illness who had experienced multiple hospital admissions for treatment were interviewed about their experiences of medication administration in the acute care setting. Participants were recruited from two cardiovascular wards in a private, not-for-profit hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Data collection occurred between August and September 2002.
Findings. Four major themes were identified from the interviews: benefits of self-administration, barriers to self-administration, assessing appropriateness of self-administration and timing of medication administration. Seven participants had previously experienced self-administration of medications and six were in favour of this practice in the clinical setting. Nine managed their own medications at home, and one self-administered with some assistance from his family. Participants were very concerned about how nurses' heavily regulated routines affected delivery of medications in hospital and disrupted individualized plans of care maintained in the home setting.
Conclusions. In planning and implementing self-administration programmes, it is important to consider patients' views. Medication regimes should be simple and flexible enough to adapt to patients' lifestyles and usual routines. Nurses should also take advantage of opportunities to support and facilitate patient autonomy, to enable more effective management of health care needs when patients return home.
History
Journal
Journal of advanced nursingVolume
46Issue
2Pagination
194 - 203Publisher
Wiley InterscienceLocation
New York, N.Y.Publisher DOI
ISSN
0309-2402eISSN
1365-2648Language
engNotes
Published Online: 30 Mar 2004Publication classification
C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2004 Blackwell Publishing LtdUsage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedKeywords
Licence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC