Table 2.
Characteristics of patient work systems for medication management (n = 376)
| n (%) | |
|---|---|
|
Capacity indicators
| |
| Having a primary care provider | 368 (97.9) |
| Number of prescribers | |
| None | 13 (3.5) |
| 1 | 86 (22.9) |
| 2 | 88 (23.4) |
| 3+ | 184 (48.9) |
| Not reported | 5 (1.3) |
| Having a caregiver at home | 73 (19.4) |
| Tasks that the caregiver helps (percentage of 73 who had a caregiver at home) | |
| Read discharge instructions | 42 (57.5) |
| Explain to you how to take your medications | 46 (63.0) |
| Create a medication schedule for when to take what medications | 40 (54.8) |
| Fill pillboxes | 41 (56.2) |
| Make changes to medications as a result of hospitalization | 33 (45.2) |
| Remind you to take your medications | 53 (72.6) |
| Update your list of medications | 50 (68.5) |
| Help you with medical appointments and other needed tasks | 63 (86.3) |
| Self-efficacy for medication management (positive responses1) | |
| I can follow directions when my doctor changes my medications | 364 (96.8) |
| I can manage my medications without help | 336 (89.4) |
| I can list my medications, including the doses and schedule | 247 (65.7) |
| I can take my medication when there is a change in my usual day (unexpected things happen) | 345 (92.5) |
| Low (at least one non-positive response with four statements) | 155 (41.2) |
| Medication administration skills | |
| Correctly read the drug name on the medication bottle | 334 (88.8) |
| Correctly tell how to take the medication | 329 (87.5) |
| Open the bottle | 335 (89.1) |
| Low (unable to perform at least one of the 3 skills) | 69 (18.3) |
| Transportation Independence | |
| High (owning a car) | 248 (66.0) |
| Low | |
| Friend | 93 (24.7) |
| Public transportation | 13 (3.5) |
| Other | 22 (5.9) |
|
| |
|
Task indicators [Median (interquartile range), range]
| |
| Number of medications on discharge > 10 [12 (8–16), 0-33] | 217 (57.7) |
| Medication regimen complex index > 30 [26 (16.5–37.8), 0-91] | 156 (41.5) |
| Number of high alert medications ≥ 1 [1 (0–2), 0-5] | 228 (60.6) |
| Number of medication changes ≥1 [4 (2–7), 0-22] | 356 (94.7) |
| New medications ≥ 1 [1 (1–3), 0-15] | 290 (77.1) |
| Medications stopped ≥ 1 [1 (0–3), 0-14] | 236 (62.8) |
| Regimen changes ≥ 1 [0 (0–1), 0-8] | 169 (44.9) |
| Formulary change ≥ 1 [0 (0–0), 0-2] | 16 (4.3) |
|
| |
| Practice indicators for medication management | |
| Patient/Caregiver brought medication list or bottles to hospital | 201 (53.5) |
| Not able to pick up new medications prescribed at discharge | 21 (5.6) |
| Skipping medications due to issues of insurance or cost | 85 (22.6) |
1
Response options are on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”, and positive responses were “Agree” or “Strongly Agree”