Engineering care transitions: Clinician perceptions of barriers to safe medication management during transitions of patient care

Abstract

Medication safety during care transitions is a significant challenge, especially for older adults prescribed multiple medications. Using a systems approach to understand barriers to and strategies for safe medication management throughout high-risk periods of hospital-to-home transition is one important step in designing effective interventions. Framing the care transition as a collaboration between healthcare and patient "work systems," we conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 clinical team members, representing 10 different professional roles involved in providing transitional care for patients. Thematic analyses identified key strategies used by clinical team members in preparing patients to self-manage medications safely in the home environment: (1) streamlining and coordinating clinical management of medication reconciliation across care settings; (2) building patient capacity and engagement in self-management of medications; and (3) redesigning the transitional process. Our research highlights the value in aligning professionals' care transition goals with patients and caregiver(s) to better prepare them to self-manage medications upon discharge.

Keywords: Care transitions; Healthcare systems engineering; Medication safety; Patient discharge; Qualitative.