Safe Medication Assessment Toward Patient Safety in Home Health Care: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Collaboration across hospital-primary-community healthcare continuum is crucial to ensuring secure medication management at home, particularly among elderly persons. The study aim was to describe older adult’s experiences of medication assessment using Safe Medication Assessment (SMA) in connection to home visits. A study was conducted, with data from 44 participants analyzed through qualitative content analysis (semi-structured interviews) at baseline, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups based on SMA’s 20 items. The results include 1 theme “Personcentredness due to medication management,” and 2 categories, “Systematic approach towards safe medication at home” and “Taking control over prescribed drugs.” SMA ensures a systematic work approach during home visits conducted by mobile team units, working in partnership with all involved parties (elderly, care providers, relatives) improving safe medication management at home.