3D: a tool for medication discharge education

• Published in: Quality & safety in health care Vol. 16; no. 1; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Manning, Dennis M, O’Meara, John G, Williams, Arthur R, Rahman, Ahmed, Myhre, Danica, Tammel, Karyl J, Carter, Lisa C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 01.02.2007; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Continuity of Patient Care; Drug Prescriptions - statistics & numerical data; Drug Therapy, Combination; Durable Display at Discharge; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health administration; Humans; Male; MDE; MDW; medication discharge education; Medication Discharge Worksheet; Medication Errors - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Patient Discharge; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Patient Satisfaction; Quality Improvement Report; Risk Assessment; Self Administration - methods; Teaching Materials; United States; United States
• ISSN: 1475-3898; 1475-3901
• DOI: 10.1136/qshc.2006.018564

Background: At the time of transition from hospital to home, many patients are challenged by multi-drug regimens. The authors’ standard patient education tool is a personalised Medication Discharge Worksheet (MDW) that includes a list of medications and administration times. Nonetheless, patient understanding, satisfaction, and safety remain suboptimal. Therefore, the authors designed a new tool: Durable Display at Discharge (3D). Unlike MDW, 3D features (1) space in which a tablet or pill is to be affixed and displayed, (2) trade name (if apt), (3) unit strength, (4) number (and/or fraction) of units to be taken, (5) purpose (indication), (6) comment/caution, (7) larger font, (8) card stock durability and (9) a reconciliation feature. Methods: The authors conducted an exploratory, randomised trial (n = 138) to determine whether 3D, relative to MDW, improves patient satisfaction, improves patient understanding and reduces self-reported medication errors. Trained survey research personnel, blinded to hypotheses, interviewed patients by telephone 7–14 days after discharge. Results: Both tools were similarly associated with high satisfaction and few self-reported errors. However, 3D subjects demonstrated greater understanding of their medications. Conclusions: Although both tools are associated with similarly high levels of patient satisfaction and low rates of self-reported medication error, 3D appears to promote patient understanding of the medications, and warrants further study.