Table 4.
Nursing care interventions in the older patients by key words from the well-being, integrity, prevention, and safety (VIPS) model (n = 45)
| VIPS keywords | n | % |
|---|---|---|
| Information/education about | 40 | 88.9 |
| What disease each drug is used for | 33 | 73.3 |
| If the symptoms could possibly be an adverse drug effect/adverse drug effects | 27 | 60.0 |
| Self-care advice (e.g., physical activity, diet, and balance training) | 30 | 66.7 |
| The form of administration and dosing of each drug | 19 | 42.2 |
| Daily routines for remembering to take drugs | 17 | 37.8 |
| Preventive advice on the risk of falls | 15 | 33.3 |
| Non-pharmacological treatment | 10 | 22.2 |
| Which pills can be cut and/or crushed | 8 | 17.8 |
| How to easily swallow pills | 8 | 17.8 |
| Medication management aids (e.g., a dose dispenser) | 8 | 17.8 |
| Proper storage of drugs | 8 | 17.8 |
| Other (e.g., pain advice, nutrition advice) | 6 | 13.3 |
| Risks of combining the prescribed drugs with alcohol | 3 | 6.7 |
| Complex drug treatment | 1 | 2.2 |
| Coordination | 35 | 77.8 |
| Arrange a GP appointment | 18 | 40.0 |
| Consult the GP (e.g., about a prescription, tiredness, and blood sugar levels) | 10 | 22.2 |
| Initialize a clinical medication review with a GP | 12 | 26.7 |
| Recommend that the patient contact their GP | 5 | 11.1 |
| Other (e.g., care planning, referral to a dietician, and referral to emergency care) | 3 | 6.7 |
| Coordinate contact between physicians regarding prescribed drugs | 1 | 2.2 |
| Recommend contact with a case manager or home help services | 1 | 2.2 |
| Follow-up via: | ||
| Contacting the patient by telephone | 22 | 48.9 |
| Booking a new appointment at the Elderly Care Unit | 18 | 40.0 |
| Other (e.g., send patient to a diabetes nurse for follow-up or to someone who can provide help with smoking cessation) | 5 | 11.1 |
| Change a prescription | 1 | 2.2 |
| Support | 25 | 55.6 |
| Nursing care conversation about experiences of medication management | 21 | 46.7 |
| Nursing care conversation with a patients who thinks he or she has too many drugs | 10 | 22.2 |
| Other kinds of support (e.g., for grief) | 4 | 8.9 |
| Conversations about alcohol habits | 0 | 0.0 |
| Medication management | 7 | 15.6 |
| Other (e.g., advice about self-care and advice about prescriptions) | 5 | 11.1 |
| Offer help with putting doses into pill box | 2 | 4.4 |
| Offer multidose packaging (APO-dos) | 1 | 2.2 |
| Prescription | 3 | 6.7 |
| Of a drug by the district nurse (e.g., miconazole cream) | 2 | 4.4 |
| Other prescriptions by the district nurse (e.g., for incontinence aids) | 2 | 4.4 |
| Special care | 3 | 6.7 |
| Other (e.g., a referral for a microalbumin urine test) | 3 | 6.7 |
| Consult with GP about testing for memory problems with the Swedish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination | 0 | 0.0 |