To describe the barriers and facilitators experienced by residents, health and social care staff, commissioners and regulators when managing medicines within care homes.
The prescribing of medicines is the most frequent health intervention in England. The administration or omission of medicines is not without risk and incidents involving medicines occur. The frequency of prescribing medicines increases with age and frailty. People living in care homes (with and without nursing) are generally older and more frail than similar groups in the community. Therefore, care homes and their staff need to be proficient and safe when administering medicines. However, an under investigated area of prescribed medicines is the views of people living in care homes, health and social care staff, commissioners and regulator about managing medicines in care homes. During the study a series of semi-structured interviews and focus groups will be undertaken. These focus groups will be held with people living in care homes (with and without nursing). Further interviews and focus groups will be held with health and social care staff, commissioners and regulators. Care homes will be invited to provide copies of their current medicines monitoring tool. In addition, services supporting care homes including community pharmacies will also be invited to provide copies of their current medicines monitoring tools. Analysis of conversations and monitoring tools made available to the study team will be undertaken and compared to published literature including grey literature.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
152
There is no intervention. This is a qualitative piece of work only
There is no intervention. This is a qualitative piece of work only
University of Central Lancashire
Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom
Barriers and facilitators: qualitative semi-structured individual interviews
Transcribed interviews will be coded and then emerging themes from the data identified and developed. A constant comparison method of analysis will be used. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed.
Time frame: 0 to 9 months
Barriers and facilitators: qualitative semi-structured focus groups
Transcribed focus groups will be coded and then emerging themes from the data identified and developed. A constant comparison method of analysis will be used. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed.
Time frame: 0 to 9 months
Similarities and differences: current medicines monitoring tools
Current medicines monitoring tools will be coded and then emerging themes from the data identified and developed. A constant comparison method of analysis will be used. The presence or lack of consensus and reinforcement on certain topics will also be observed.
Time frame: 9 to 12 months
Qualitative comparative analysis
Themes and topics that emerged from the interviews, focus groups and current medicines monitoring tools will be compared and contrasted with each other and the evidence identified from a separate scoping review.
Time frame: 9 to 12 months
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