Effect of a trAnSitional Pharmacist Intervention in geRiatric Inpatients on Hospitals Visits After dischargE (ASPIRE)

Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven

Status: Completed

Conditions: Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions

Treatments: Other: Multifaceted clinical pharmacy intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04617340

S64758

Details and patient eligibility

About

A randomized controlled trial will be performed in geriatric inpatients to investigate the impact of a multifaceted clinical pharmacy intervention on health related outcomes.

Full description

Since drug-related harm remains persistently prevalent in older adults, there is an urgent and unmet clinical need to optimize pharmacotherapy both during hospital stay and after discharge Therefore, we aim to perform a randomized controlled trial in geriatric inpatients to investigate the impact of a multifaceted clinical pharmacy intervention on health related outcomes. The primary objective is to reduce all-cause unplanned hospital visits in geriatric inpatients. Secondary objective are to optimize drug therapy in geriatric inpatients and improve their health; To empower and educate patients, caregivers,community pharmacists and physicians regarding drug regimen decisions to maximize therapy adherence and the understanding of the (de)prescribing process and to enhance healthy ageing; To optimize transitional care from the hospital to primary care.

Enrollment: 827 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients admitted to one of the study wards under supervision of a geriatrician
• A written informed consent by the patient or his/her representative
• Discharged from the hospital

Exclusion criteria

• Admitted for a maximum of one day
• Unable to understand Dutch
• Being in a palliative stage as stated in their medical record with active withdrawal of drug therapy
• Patients being discharged to another ward within the same hospital or to another hospital

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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827 participants in 2 patient groups

Usual care group

No Intervention group

Description:

No pharmacist will be actively involved in the medication review, counseling or discharge and post-discharge procedure. In both groups the best possible preadmission drug list will be compiled for inpatients within 72 hours after admission to the geriatric ward. If potentially dangerous or life-threatening drug errors are observed in the usual care group, this will be communicated to the treating physician

Intervention group

Experimental group

Description:

The clinical pharmacist-collaborative service in the intervention group comprises six steps based on the clinical pharmacy intervention proposal of Van der Linden et al (Drugs Aging 2020). The first three steps focus on optimizing the drug therapy of geriatric inpatients. The remaining steps target a safe transition from the hospital to the community.

Treatment:

Other: Multifaceted clinical pharmacy intervention