Exploring Antipsychotic Prescribing Behaviors for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia: A Qualitative Study

Background: Antipsychotic medications are often used ‘off-licence’ to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms and disorders of aging and to manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia despite the warnings of adverse effects. Objective: To establish the prevalence of and documented indication for antipsychotic medication use in the Irish nursing home setting. Setting: This study was conducted in six nursing homes located in Co. Cork, Ireland. Method: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was employed. All patients who met the inclusion criteria (≥65 years, residing in a nursing home on a long-term basis) were eligible for inclusion. There were 120 nursing home residents recruited to the study. Main Outcome Measure: The prevalence of antipsychotic medication use in nursing home residents (with and without dementia). Results: The overall prevalence of antipsychotic prescribing was found to be 48% and patients with dementia were significantly more likely to be prescribed an antipsychotic compared to those without dementia (67% vs. 25%) (χ2 (1, N = 120) = 21.541, p < 0.001). In the cohort of patients with dementia, there was a trend approaching significance (p = 0.052) of decreasing antipsychotic use with increasing age (age 65–74 = 90%; age 75–84 = 71%; age 85 and over = 58%). An indication was documented for 84% of the antipsychotic prescriptions in this cohort. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight that high rates of antipsychotic medication use remains an issue in Irish nursing homes. Further work should explore factors in influencing prescribing of these medications in such settings.

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Paramedics's perspectives on hospital transfers of nursing home residents - a qualitative focus group study

10.21203/rs.2.16936/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Pulst ◽

Alexander Maximilian Fassmer ◽

Falk Hoffmann ◽

Guido Schmiemann

Keyword(s):

Emergency Department ◽

Nursing Home ◽

Health Status ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Focus Groups ◽

Emergency Medical Services ◽

Nursing Staff ◽

Transfer Process ◽

Nursing Home Residents ◽

Point Of View

Abstract Background: Emergency department (ED) visits and hospital admissions are common among nursing home residents (NHRs). These transfers are often considered avoidable and can have negative effects on residents’ health status. Emergency medical services (EMS) are an important linking profession between nursing homes (NHs) and hospitals and responsible for transports. So far, little is known about the perspectives of paramedics in this context. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore how paramedics experience hospital transfer process of NHRs and how hospitalizations could be avoided from their point of view. Methods: A qualitative study with three focus groups was conducted with paramedics. The focus groups followed a semi-structured question guide focusing on issues during transfer process, avoidable hospital transfers and potential interventions which might reduce transfers from NHs. Discussions were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed by content analysis using the software MAXQDA. Results: In total, 18 paramedics (mean age: 33 years, male n=14) participated in the focus groups. Paramedics mainly reported about perceived structural reasons (e.g. understaffing or lack of time) in NHs which led to initiation of an emergency call. Paramedics were often faced with poorly organized handovers because of lacking or incomplete information. In many cases, nursing staff was perceived as insufficiently qualified and not well-prepared regarding health status of NHRs. Throughout transfer process, the behavior of all involved professional groups (dispatcher/ambulance control center, nurses, physicians and paramedics) was influenced by legal uncertainties. Paramedics rated hospital transfers as avoidable in case of urinary catheter complications, exsiccosis/infections and partially in case of falls. Emergency standards in NHs, trainings for nursing staff, improvement of working conditions and legal conditions were discussed as potential interventions which could reduce hospital transfers of NHRs. Conclusion: Paramedics are faced with complex issues when transporting a NHR to hospital. According to their point of view staff shortage and legal uncertainties play a relevant role in transfer decisions. Interventions reducing (avoidable) hospital transfers of NHRs have to take these factors into account. Keywords: nursing home residents, hospitalization, hospital admission, patient transfer, referral, transition, emergency department, emergency medical services, decision making, advance care planning

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Who to Talk to About my Pain? A Brief Qualitative Study on Perception of Pain and its Management in Swiss Nursing Home Residents

Pain Management Nursing ◽

10.1016/j.pmn.2019.06.003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 151-156

Author(s):

Thekla Brunkert ◽

Michael Simon ◽

Jörg Haslbeck ◽

Franziska Zúñiga

Keyword(s):

Nursing Home ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Nursing Home Residents

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Public reporting of antipsychotic prescribing in nursing homes: population-based interrupted time series analyses

BMJ Quality & Safety ◽

10.1136/bmjqs-2018-007840 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 (2) ◽

pp. 121-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Noah M Ivers ◽

Monica Taljaard ◽

Vasily Giannakeas ◽

Catherine Reis ◽

Evelyn Williams ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Nursing Home ◽

Nursing Homes ◽

Mass Media ◽

Nursing Home Residents ◽

Public Reporting ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Antipsychotic Prescribing ◽

The Impact ◽

Newspaper Articles

BackgroundAlthough sometimes appropriate, antipsychotic medications are associated with increased risk of significant adverse events. In 2014, a series of newspaper articles describing high prescribing rates in nursing homes in Ontario, Canada, garnered substantial interest. Subsequently, an online public reporting initiative with home-level data was launched. We examined the impact of these public reporting interventions on antipsychotic prescribing in nursing homes.MethodsTime series analysis of all nursing home residents in Ontario, Canada, between 1 October 2013 and 31 March 2016. The primary outcome was the proportion of residents prescribed antipsychotics each month. Balance measures were prescriptions for common alternative sedating agents (benzodiazepines and/or trazodone). We used segmented regression to assess the effects on prescription trends of the newspaper articles and the online home-level public reporting initiative.ResultsWe included 120 009 nursing home resident admissions across 636 nursing homes. Following the newspaper articles, the proportion of residents prescribed an antipsychotic decreased by 1.28% (95% CI 1.08% to 1.48%) and continued to decrease at a rate of 0.2% per month (95% CI 0.16% to 0.24%). The online public reporting initiative did not alter this trend. Over 3 years, there was a net absolute reduction in antipsychotic prescribing of 6.0% (95% CI 5.1% to 6.9%). Trends for benzodiazepine prescribing did not change as substantially during the period of observation. Trazodone use has been gradually increasing, but its use did not change abruptly at the time of the mass media report or the public reporting initiative.InterpretationThe rapid impact of mass media on prescribing suggests both an opportunity to use this approach to invoke change and a warning to ensure that such reporting occurs responsibly.

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