Validating a self-medication risk assessment instrument

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to refine and validate the self-medication risk assessment instrument for use as a reliable screening method to identify people who may have difficulty managing their medication safely. Specific objectives of the study were to demonstrate the reliability of the instrument.

Design

The study, using a correlational design, was designed to test inter- and intra-rater reliability of the instrument using a sample of 45 patients and 45 pairs of assessors. Each pair of assessors assessed the same patient on the same day and one of the original assessors returned to reassess the patient approximately one week later.

Setting

The data collection took place in Acute medical and Community Rehabilitation settings and via Community Nursing, Pharmacy and Social Care staff in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Participants

45 patients and 45 pairs of assessors from Nursing, Pharmacy and Social Care backgrounds.

Main Outcome measures

Reliability of the instrument when used by different and same assessors and identification of key risk factors related to self-medication risk assessment.

Results

The instrument has demonstrated strong inter- and intra-rater reliability for both outcome of assessment findings and risk category. Three key elements of the assessment criteria, mental state, attitude and knowledge about medications and severe visual impairment demonstrated a high level of criterion validity.

Conclusion

The self-medication assessment instrument shows promise in terms of reliability but further testing is required to demonstrate its validity and the possible weighting of individual items in the instrument.