Experiences and Perceptions of Medication Management Communication During Transitions of Care for Residents in Aged Care Homes and Their Caregivers: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.
Alison Dowling, Stephanie Garratt, Elizabeth Manias
PMID 39370545WHAT IT FOUND
Aged care residents and families described medication communication during hospital transitions as rushed, jargon-heavy and mainly information-giving.
They were often excluded from ward rounds and discharge planning. They became anxious and filled information gaps themselves.
Key findings
01During hospitalisation, medication information was often verbal, jargonised and not personalised, and attempts to involve residents and families in shared decision-making were limited or absent.
02Family caregivers were usually not invited to ward rounds or discharge planning meetings, and many had to initiate conversations and advocate for residents.
03At discharge, many received generic written medication information without enough verbal explanation, and hospitals typically supplied only 3 days' worth of medication, creating problems obtaining ongoing medicines.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only English-language studies were included, so the findings may not represent other languages or health systems. The text says the 12 studies represented 295 participants, but Table 1 reports 349 participants, so the exact participant count is unclear. Only one study gave participant information beyond age and sex, so ethnicity, language and education could not be examined. No papers were excluded based on quality appraisal, and the reporting checklist found missing researcher background and study design details. The review describes experiences and perceptions; it does not test whether any communication strategy improves medication safety.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the recommended communication strategies as evidence that they reduce medication errors. This review synthesises residents' and family caregivers' experiences and perceptions, not tested interventions.