Potentially preventable hospital admissions related to medication
Healthcare providers aim to improve patients' health through medication use, but sometimes, medications can cause harm leading to hospital admissions. These admissions can be potentially avoidable if they result from medication errors. In 2009, a working group formulated recommendations to reduce the number of these admissions, leading to initiatives by healthcare providers to achieve this goal. However, it was unknown whether these efforts had actually reduced the occurrence of potentially avoidable drug-related hospital admissions.
Assessing progress
For this thesis, Fouzia Lghoul aimed to assess the progress in risk management of (potentially preventable) drug-related hospital admissions ((PP)HARMs). She particularly wanted to determine the extent of the (P)HARM problem, identify potential risk factors and their time-dependency, and measure adherence to recommendations for reducing (PP)HARMs.
A study conducted between 2008 and 2013 on the number of (PP)HARMs found that the prevalence did not change during this period. However, the type of PPHARM did change compared to previous studies. Older age and female gender were identified as potential risk factors, with no time trends observed in these risk factors. This was confirmed in a systematic literature review, comparing old and new research.
Room for improvement
In the final part of her thesis, Lghoul determined the results regarding healthcare providers' adherence to guidelines for further reducing PPHARMs. It revealed that there is still room for improvement in healthcare providers' compliance. Finally, she investigated the possible reasons for physicians not following one specific recommendation, which involved prescribing a laxative with opioids (pain relievers that can cause constipation). Lghoul found no clear reasons, but there is potential for improvement in patient communication about safety risks. In this thesis, she demonstrates that the issue of (PP)HARMs is still prevalent and that there is room for improvement in preventing these admissions.