Document Detail


Potentially inappropriate prescribing in elderly: assessing doctor knowledge, confidence and barriers.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20630004     Owner:  NLM     Status:  In-Process    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
INTRODUCTION: Inappropriate medication prescribing by doctors is an important preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly. This study investigates doctor knowledge about potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP) in elderly, their confidence in prescribing for the elderly and explores perceived barriers.
METHODS: Family and Internal Medicine resident and attending doctors at three teaching hospitals were asked to complete a survey. Six clinical vignettes based on the 2003 Beers criteria were used to evaluate doctor knowledge about medications to avoid in the elderly. Confidence in prescribing for the elderly and perceived barriers to appropriate prescribing in elderly was assessed using a 5-point Likert scale.
RESULTS: Eighty-nine doctors completed the survey, for a response rate of 45%. Forty-four per cent of surveyed doctors estimated that over 25% of their practice consisted of patients 65 years or older. When knowledge of PIP was assessed via vignettes, the mean correct response was 3.9 (SD: 1.1, min = 1, max = 6). Only 14% of those doctors scoring ≤4 vignettes correctly had used the Beers criteria for prescribing; 31% of the doctors answering ≥5 vignettes correctly had used the Beers criteria (P = 0.08). Overall, 75% of doctors felt confident about their prescribing irrespective of their knowledge scores. Seventy per cent of surveyed doctors cited at least seven different barriers to appropriate prescribing in elderly.
CONCLUSIONS: Many primary care doctors possess a poor knowledge of PIP and are unaware of prescribing guidelines such as the Beers criteria. Our survey indicates that doctor usage of the Beers criteria might correlate with improved judgement in prescribing for the elderly. Most doctors report multiple barriers to appropriate prescribing in the elderly. Lack of formal education about prescribing guidelines was the only barrier that correlated with the doctors' level of training.
Authors:
Ravishankar Ramaswamy; Vittorio Maio; James J Diamond; Amy R Talati; Christine W Hartmann; Christine Arenson; Barbara Roehl
Related Documents :
9203274 - Lay injection practices among migrant farmworkers in the age of aids: evolution of a bi...
8071164 - Herbage allowance x yearling heifer phenotype interactions for preweaning calf growth o...
9855084 - Determinants of prescribing costs for ulcer-healing drugs and upper gastrointestinal en...
9259034 - Deconstructing the myth of the neutral analyst: an alternative from intersubjective sys...
9456074 - Clinical concepts and dilemmas between disease and averse life events.
16646724 - Applying evidence-based medicine to traditional chinese medicine: debate and strategy.
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2010-07-13
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of evaluation in clinical practice     Volume:  17     ISSN:  1365-2753     ISO Abbreviation:  J Eval Clin Pract     Publication Date:  2011 Dec 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-11-04     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  9609066     Medline TA:  J Eval Clin Pract     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1153-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Copyright Information:
© 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Affiliation:
Underwood-Memorial Hospital, Woodbury, New Jersey, USA. ravishankar.ramaswamy@gmail.com
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Changing doctors' behaviours: an educational program to disseminate a new clinical pathway for the h...
Next Document:  Interventions to reduce hospital readmissions in the elderly: in-hospital or home care. A systematic...