Geriatric Polypharmacy: Pharmacist as Key Facilitator in Assessing for Falls Risk

Investigating the characteristics and needs of frequently admitting hospital patients: a cross-sectional study in the UK

OBJECTIVES

This study forms the user requirements phase of the OPTIMAL project, which, through a predictive model and supportive intervention, aims to decrease early hospital readmissions. This phase aims to investigate the needs and characteristics of patients who had been admitted to hospital ≥2 times in the past 12 months.

SETTING

This was a cross-sectional study involving patients from Croydon University Hospital (CUH), London, UK.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 347 patients responded to a postal questionnaire, a response rate of 12.7%. To meet the inclusion criteria, participants needed to be aged ≥18 and have been admitted ≥2 times in the previous 12 months (August 2014-July 2015) to CUH.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMES

To profile patients identified as frequent admitters to assess gaps in care at discharge or post-discharge. Additionally, to understand the patients' experience of admission, discharge and post-discharge care.

RESULTS

The range of admissions in the past 12 months was 2-30, with a mean of 2.8. At discharge 72.4% (n=231/347) were not given a contact for out-of-hours help. Regression analysis identified patient factors that were significantly associated with frequent admissions (>2 in 12 months), which included age (p=0.008), being in receipt of care (p=0.005) and admission due to a fall (p=0.01), but not receiving polypharmacy. Post-discharge, 41.8% (n=145/347) were concerned about being readmitted to the hospital. In the first 30 days after discharge, over half of patients (54.5% n=189/347) had no contact from a healthcare professional.

CONCLUSION

Considering that social care needs were more of a determinant of admission risk than medical needs, rectifying the lack of integration, communication and the under-utilisation of existing patient services could prevent avoidable problems during the transition of care and help decrease the likelihood of hospital readmission.

Risk factors associated with in-hospital falls reported to the Patient Safety Commitee of a teaching hospital

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the use of fall-risk-increasing drugs among patients with falls reported to the Patient Safety Office of a hospital, and to identify the factors associated with high risk for fall.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study, carried out in a teaching hospital. The study population was the universe of fall reports received by the Patient Safety Office. The dependent variable was a high risk for falls. The Medication Fall Risk Score was used to measure fall risk. Descriptive, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Of the 125 fall reports in the study, 38 (30.4%) were in 2014, 26 (20.8%) in 2015, and 61 (48.8%) in 2016. Half of the patients (63; 50.4%) were classified as high fall risk and 74 (59.2%) had two or more risk factors for the event. The most frequently used drug classes were opioids (25%), anxiolytics (19.7%), beta-blockers (9.9%), angiotensin II antagonists (7%) and vascular-selective calcium channel blockers (7%). After the adjusted analysis, the factors associated with falls were amputation (odds ratio: 14.17), female sex (odds ratio: 2.98) and severe pain (odds ratio: 5.47).

CONCLUSION

Medications are an important contributor to in-hospital falls, and the Medication Fall Risk Score can help identify patients at a high risk for falls.