Medical errors are the 3rd leading cause of death in the U.S.. The problem is timely recognition and management of inappropriate healthcare worker behaviors that lead to intimidation and loss of staff focus, eventually leading to errors. The purpose of this qualitative modified Delphi study was to seek consensus among a panel of experts in hospital risk management practices on the practical methods for early detection of inappropriate behaviors among hospital staff, which may be used by hospital managers to considerably mitigate the risk of medical mishaps. High reliability theory guided the research process, utilizing the conceptual framework of fair and just culture patient safety model. A single research question asked what level of consensus exists among hospital risk management experts as to the practical methods for early detection of inappropriate behavior among hospital staff, which managers may use to ultimately mitigate the risk of preventable medical mishaps. This study included nonprobability purposive sampling (n=34) and 3 rounds of questionnaires. Consensus was reached on 8 factors: setting expectations, developing a culture of respect, holding staff accountable, enforcing a zero-tolerance policy, confidentiality of reporting, communicating expected behavior, open communication, and investigating inappropriate behaviors. The implications for positive social change include a better understanding of inappropriate behaviors among healthcare workers as well as the potential to minimize its negative impacts and improve patient safety in healthcare organizations.

Old people in general, and those affected by dementia disorders in particular, are more sensitive to drug side effects than younger people. Despite this, the use of nervous system drugs and analgesics among old people is common, and has increased in recent years. Institutional geriatric care accommodates people who need round-the-clock supervision and care, due to somatic, psychiatric, cognitive or behavioral symptomatology. A majority of those living in institutional geriatric care suffers from dementia disorders. This thesis is based on three different data collections. Two large cross-sectional studies, the AC1982 and AC2000 data collections, including all those living in institutional geriatric care in the county of Västerbotten in May 1982 and 2000 respectively (n=3195 and n=3669) and one study, the GERDA/Umeå 85+ data collection, including a sample of very old people, living at home and in institutions (n=546), in the municipalities of Umeå, Sweden and Vaasa and Mustasaari, Finland, in 2005-2006. The use of psychotropic drugs and analgesics was common among old people living in geriatric care and among very old people in general. A higher proportion of people with dementia received certain nervous system drugs, such as antipsychotic drugs. The use of antipsychotic drugs among people with cognitive impairment living in geriatric care was found to be correlated to several behaviors and symptoms that are not proper indications for antipsychotic drug use, and also factors related more to the staff and the caring situation. Over the course of eighteen years, from 1982 to 2000, there has been a manifold increase in the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics in geriatric care, but the use of antipsychotics had decreased slightly. During the same time, the prevalence of several depressive symptoms decreased significantly, correcting for demographical changes. One analysis of calculated numbers needed to treat, however, indicated poor remission rates, suggesting that even better results might be achievable. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among people with moderate cognitive impairment remained unchanged between 1982 and 2000, despite the fact that about 50% were receiving treatment with antidepressants in 2000. One possible explanation might be that depressive symptoms have different etiologies in different stages of a dementia disorder. Approximately a quarter of the people experiencing pain in geriatric care were not receiving any regular analgesic treatment. One possible reason might be misconceptions among the caring staff regarding whether or not the residents were receiving analgesic treatment. Such misconceptions were found to be common. In conclusion, psychotropic and analgesic drug use among old people in geriatric care, and very old people in general, was found to be common and in many cases possibly inappropriate. The use of antipsychotics among people with dementia deserves particular concern, because of the high risk of severe adverse events and the limited evidence for positive effects. The use of antidepressants, on the other hand, might have contributed to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms among old people.

The diagnostic imaging (DI) literature identifies that unnecessary examinations are occurring. However, there is a gap in the research literature: little is known about how physicians order DI examinations and what efforts need to be undertaken to reduce the number of inappropriate orders made by physicians. Such research is needed in order to promote patient safety and improve utilization of limited health care resources Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore how physicians order DI services, and what efforts could be made to reduce inappropriate DI ordering. Participants: 12 English speaking, non-radiologist physicians (general practitioners and specialists) participated in this study. Methods: Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with participants. Data from these interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Results: DI ordering practices (both appropriate and inappropriate) emerged as the dominant theme in this research, specifically in the context of prevalence, decision-making, information support, contributing factors, and solutions. Particularly, the majority of participants felt that DI is overused in the medical field and identified contacting physicians (colleagues, specialists, or radiologists) and consulting the literature (using UpToDate® or Google Scholar) as their top methods of information support used in challenging clinical scenarios. Meanwhile, participants suggested factors that contribute to inappropriate ordering: patient demand, legal liability, and duplicate ordering. The majority of participants believed education could reduce inappropriate ordering. Participants also identified increasing communication about requisitions and restricting DI ordering authority as potential solutions to reduce inappropriate ordering. Conclusion: From the interviews, ordering (both appropriate and inappropriate ordering) emerged as the overarching theme. Findings were compared and contrasted to the current literature. Overall, this study revealed how human factors, such as patient demand, influence how a physician orders DI. As well, the majority of participants relied on the patient to recall patient DI history; however, literature suggests this method is unreliable. This study also offers unique insight into the physician’s perspective of what would be effective for reducing inappropriate ordering. These findings contribute to the field of health informatics as any technology developed to reduce inappropriate ordering (such as a clinical decision support system) needs to consider these human factors to support user acceptance. Through findings from this study, further research gaps emerged that can guide future research. / Graduate

Older people admitted to hospital are at high risk of rehospitalization and medication errors. We have demonstrated, in a randomized controlled trial, that a clinical pharmacist intervention reduces the incidence of revisits to hospital for patients aged 80 years or older admitted to an acute internal medicine ward. The aims of this thesis were to further study the effects of the intervention and to investigate possibilities of targeting the intervention by identifying predictors of treatment response or adverse health outcomes. The effect of the pharmacist intervention on the appropriateness of prescribing was assessed, by using three validated tools. This study showed that the quality of prescribing was improved for the patients in the intervention group but not for those in the control group. However, no association between the appropriateness of prescribing at discharge and revisits to hospital was observed. Subgroup analyses explored whether the clinical pharmacist intervention was equally effective in preventing emergency department visits in patients with few or many prescribed drugs and in those with different levels of inappropriate prescribing on admission. The intervention appeared to be most effective in patients taking fewer drugs, but the treatment effect was not altered by appropriateness of prescribing. The most relevant risk factors for rehospitalization and mortality were identified for the same study population, and a score for risk-estimation was constructed and internally validated (the 80+ score). Seven variables were selected. Impaired renal function, pulmonary disease, malignant disease, living in a nursing home, being prescribed an opioid and being prescribed a drug for peptic ulcer or gastroesophageal reflux disease were associated with an increased risk, while being prescribed an antidepressant drug (tricyclic antidepressants not included) was linked with a lower risk. These variables made up the components of the 80+ score. Pending external validation, this score has potential to aid identification of high-risk patients. The last study investigated the occurrence of prescription errors when patients with multi-dose dispensed (MDD) drugs were discharged from hospital. Twenty-five percent of the MDD orders contained at least one medication prescription error. Almost half of the errors were of moderate or major severity, with potential to cause increased health-care utilization.

Background: Drug utilisation among the elderly is complex due to multiplemorbidities, extensive drug utilisation and an increased sensitivity to drugs. One of the most common drug groups utilised in this population is psychotropic drugs, which include antipsychotics, anxiolytics, hypnotics, and antidepressants. In appropriat eutilisation of drugs among the elderly is an issue of great public health importance. Aims: The overall aim of this thesis is to assess and analyse potentially in appropriat eutilisation of psychotropic drugs among the elderly in Sweden. The specific aims are to assess to what extent the indicator “concurrent use of three or more psychotropic drugs”captures the utilisation of Potentially Inappropriate Psychotropics (PIP) among theelderly, and to analyse potentially inappropriate utilisation of psychotropic drugs inrelation to time, mental disorders, institutionalisation, and socioeconomic determinants among the elderly in Sweden. Methods: Data from individual-based registers on dispensed drugs and socioeconomic determinants in 2006, the Gothenburg 95+ Study (1996-1998), and aggregated drug sales statistics from 2000-2008 were used. The agreement between the two indicators“concurrent use of three or more psychotropic drugs” and PIP was assessed. Utilisationof psychotropic drugs and PIP was assessed in relation to mental disorders and institutionalisation among the 95-year olds, and in relation to socioeconomic determinants among individuals aged 75 years and older. Further, trends over time inutilisation of PIP and recommended drugs were analysed. Results: During 2006, about half of the elderly aged 75 years and older utilised psychotropic drugs and one fifth of all elderly utilised PIP. One fourth of individualsutilising PIP were captured by the indicator “concurrent use of three or morepsychotropic drugs”. In 1996-1998, less than one tenth of the 95-year olds with depression utilised antidepressants, while hypnotics and anxiolytics were more common. Individuals with low income and the non-married were more likely to utilise PIP compared to those with high income and the married, respectively. During 2000-2008, utilisation of PIP decreased and utilisation of recommended psychotropic drugs increased. Conclusions: There are substantial problems in the utilisation of psychotropic drugsamong the elderly. This thesis found that the agreement between two indicators of inappropriate psychotropic drug utilisation was poor, which emphasises the importance of choosing relevant indicators. The findings also show socioeconomic inequities inpsychotropic drug utilisation among the elderly, a low utilisation of antidepressants among 95-year olds diagnosed with depression, and a trend towards the utilisation of recommended rather than inappropriate psychotropic drugs among the elderly / Bakgrund: Användning av läkemedel bland äldre är komplicerat på grund avmultisjuklighet, användning av flera läkemedel och en ökad känslighet för läkemedel.En av de vanligaste läkemedelsgrupperna hos äldre är psykofarmaka, som inkluderarantipsykotika, ångestdämpande, sömnmedel och antidepressiva läkemedel. Olämpliganvändning av läkemedel bland äldre är ett betydande folkhälsoproblem. Syfte: Det övergripande syftet med avhandlingen är att beskriva och analyserapotentiellt olämplig användning av psykofarmaka bland äldre i Sverige. De specifikasyftena är att undersöka i vilken utsträckning indikatorn ”samtidig användning av treeller fler psykofarmaka” fångar användningen av potentiellt olämpliga psykofarmaka(PIP) bland äldre och att analysera potentiellt olämplig användning av psykofarmaka irelation till förändring över tid, psykiatriska diagnoser, boendeform och socioekonomiska determinanter bland äldre i Sverige. Metod: Avhandlingen baseras på data från individbaserade register över läkemedelsköp och socioekonomiska determinanter under 2006, Göteborg 95+ studien (1996-1998)samt aggregerade data över läkemedelsförsäljning under 2000-2008. Överensstämmelsen mellan de två indikatorerna ”samtidig användning av tre eller flerpsykofarmaka” och PIP undersöktes. Användning av psykofarmaka och PIP studerades i relation till psykiatriska diagnoser och boendeform hos 95-åringar och i relation till socioekonomiska determinanter hos de som var 75 år och äldre. Vidare analyseradesförändring över tid i användning av PIP och rekommenderade psykofarmaka. Resultat: Hälften av alla äldre som var 75 år och äldre använde psykofarmaka under2006 och en femtedel av alla äldre använde PIP. En fjärdedel av individerna somanvände PIP fångades av indikatorn ”samtidig användning av tre eller flerpsykofarmaka”. Bland 95-åringarna med depression år 1996-1998 använde färre än enav tio antidepressiva läkemedel, medan sömnmedel och ångestdämpande läkemedel varvanligare. PIP var vanligare hos de äldre med låg inkomst och bland de som inte vargifta, jämfört med individer med hög inkomst och de gifta. Under 2000-2008 minskade användningen av PIP medan användningen av rekommenderade psykofarmaka ökade. Slutsatser: Det finns fortfarande stora problem i äldres användning av psykofarmaka.Avhandlingen visar en låg överensstämmelse mellan två indikatorer för olämpliganvändning av psykofarmaka, vilket pekar på betydelsen av att välja relevantaindikatorer. Avhandlingen visar också på socioekonomiska ojämlikheter i användningenav psykofarmaka hos äldre, en låg användning av antidepressiva läkemedel bland 95-åringar med depression och en ökning i användningen av rekommenderade istället förolämpliga psykofarmaka bland äldre

This thesis investigates cultural associations and values connected to women in Swedish society, with regard to action space, autonomy and social position. This is done through a discourse analysis of the media debate about public breastfeeding between the years 1980-2016, especially putting focus on the female body, motherhood, and women's access to public space. Main theories are Sara Ahmed’s various works on feelings and public comfort, as well as theories about taboo, mainly Purity and Danger by Mary Douglas. In line with early feminist anthropology on women’s subordinated position, this study finds liminality between opposing binaries to be important for the discourse, placing breastfeeding women in a position of taboo and inconvenience. In the discourses I studied, the two most important binaries are the nature-culture dichotomy, and the separation between private and public space. The discourses concerning public breastfeeding are also connected to notions of Swedish Exceptionalism and gender equality, mostly in contrast to beliefs about prudish influences from the U.S. In the thesis is discussed how the media debate about public breastfeeding seems to have intensified from the 1990s onwards, which correlates with increased neoliberalization of the Swedish welfare system, causing changes in women’s life circumstances. In the concluding chapter is brought forth how public breastfeeding is a focal point for several contradictory expectations on breastfeeding women, placing them in a double bind and making women responsible for everyone else’s comfort. It is also illuminated how the binary oppositions mainly contribute to disadvantaging categorizations of women, as well as how neoliberal reforms seem to have a damaging effect on gender equality in Sweden.

Estados e municípios puderam definir seu próprio elenco de medicamentos a ser ofertados aos seus cidadãos com a Política Nacional de Medicamentos (1998), e a consequente descentralização da Assistência Farmacêutica. Percebeu-se a oportunidade de realizar um estudo para analisar peculiaridades de um conjunto de Relações Municipais de Medicamentos Essenciais (Remumes) de municípios paulistas, visando a racionalidade das listas como instrumento norteador da aquisição, distribuição, prescrição e planejamento da AF municipal. Considerou-se as possibilidades de diferentes cenários, dependente da qualidade da gestão, organização e do perfil dos recursos humanos locais e que uma equipe farmacêutica competente e qualificada prove uma melhor gestão da AF. Além disso, considerando os impactos da transição demográfica e epidemiológica da população brasileira em que os idosos utilizam mais medicamentos, gestores e profissionais da saúde precisam selecionar medicamentos criteriosamente para atender necessidades dessa faixa etária. O emprego de medicamentos potencialmente inapropriados (MPI) para idosos requer cuidado e estudos tem procurado lista-los e criar instrumentos de seleção. Aqueles inclusos nos critérios Beers definidos com apoio da Sociedade Americana de Geriatria encontram-se associados a desfechos desfavoráveis de saúde e mortalidade. OBJETIVOS: Analisar Remumes disponibilizadas para este estudo visando alertar profissionais de saúde e gestores sobre MPIs que podem comprometer a segurança dos pacientes no processo de utilização de medicamentos. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de um estudo transversal de análise das Remumes dos municípios sedes dos 17 Departamentos Regionais de Saúde (DRSs) e das Remumes dos 27 municípios do Departamento Regional de Saúde (DRS) XIII enfatizando aqueles MPIs contidos nelas. Obtiveram-se 100% das 17 Remumes dos municípios sedes dos DRSs e 92,3% das 27 Remumes dos municípios do DRS XIII, formando um banco de dados com 9063 medicamentos, discriminados pela classificação ATC e pelos diversos critérios de Beers. RESULTADOS E DISCUSSÃO: Os municípios sedes apresentaram Remumes contendo de 128 (Piracicaba) a 396 (Santos) medicamentos, com média de 272,3 (DP=71,1) medicamentos. As Remume dos municípios da DRS XIII apresentaram entre 32 (Luiz Antônio) e 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros) medicamentos, com média de 198 (DP=111,4). Predominaram os medicamentos que atuavam no sistema nervoso seguidos pelos cardiovasculares e anti-infecciosos sistêmicos. Quando os medicamentos contidos nas Remumes foram submetidos à aplicação dos critérios de Beers, foram identificados 59,9% de MPIs, sendo que do total de 77 classes terapêuticas 39 (53,6%) classes tinham pelo menos um representante na lista dos Critérios de Beers. Os achados foram discutidos comparando dados dos municípios, outros critérios para medicamentos inapropriados para idosos, à luz de evidências clíncas mais recentes. CONCLUSÃO: As Remumes mostraram elevada variação no número de medicamentos e grupos farmacológicos e elenco considerável de medicamentos dos critérios de Beers. Apontou para necessidade de qualificação da assistência farmacêutica municipal e a elaboração de um guia norteador que contribuam para o fortalecimento da Atenção Básica e da Assistência Farmacêutica. Este aprimoramento da utilização de medicamentos em geral e para idosos, envolvendo a prescrição, dispensação, administração e uso pelo paciente, reduzem morbimortalidade relacionada aos medicamentos. / States and municipalities were able to define their own list of medicines to be offered to their citizens with the National Drug Policy (1998) and the consequent decentralization of Pharmaceutical Assistance (PA). It was noticed the opportunity to carry out a study to analyze the peculiarities of a set of Municipal Lists of Essential Medicines (Remumes) of São Paulo state municipalities, aiming at the rationality of lists as a guiding instrument for the acquisition, distribution, prescription and planning of the municipal PA. Consideration was given to the possibilities of different scenarios, depending on the quality of management, organization and the profile of local human resources, and that a competent and qualified pharmaceutical team provides a better management of PA. In addition, considering the impact of the demographic and epidemiological transition of the Brazilian population in which the elderly use more drugs, managers and health professionals need to select medicines carefully to meet the needs of this age group. The employment of potentially inappropriate medications (PIM) for the elderly require care and studies have sought to list them and develop screening tools . Those included in the Beers criteria, defined with support from the American Society of Geriatrics, are associated with unfavorable health and mortality outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To analyze Remumes made available for this study in order to alert health professionals and managers about MPIs that may compromise patients\' safety in the medication use process. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of the Remumes of the municipalities of the 17 Regional Health Departments (DRSs) and of the Remumes of the 27 municipalities of the Regional Health Department (DRS) XIII emphasizing those MPIs contained in them. 100% of the 17 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRSs and 92.3% of the 27 Remumes of the municipalities of the DRS XIII were formed, forming a database with 9063 medicines, discriminated by the ATC classification and by the diverse criteria of Beers. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The municipal districts presented Remumes containing from 128 (Piracicaba) to 396 (Santos) medications, with an average of 272.3 (SD = 71.1) medications. Remume of DRS XIII municipalities presented medications between 32 (Luiz Antônio) and 403 (Cássia dos Coqueiros), with a mean of 198 (SD = 111.4). Predominant drugs that worked in the nervous system followed by cardiovascular and systemic anti-infectious. When medicinal products contained in Remumes were submitted to the Beers criteria, 59.9% of PIMs were identified. Of the total of 77 therapeutic classes, 39 (53.6%) classes had at least one representative in the list of Criteria of Beers. The findings were discussed comparing data from the municipalities, other criteria for PIMs for the elderly, in light of more recent clinical evidence. CONCLUSION: Remumes showed high variation in the number of drugs and pharmacological groups and considerable list of drugs of the Beers criteria. He pointed to the need for qualification of municipal pharmaceutical assistance and the elaboration of a guiding guide that contribute to the strengthening of Primary Care and Pharmaceutical Assistance. This improvement in the utilization of medications in general and for the elderly, involving prescription, dispensing, administration and use by the patient, reduces drug-related morbidity and mortality.

INTRODUCTION: The percentage of seniors in the population is increasing worldwide and Europe is not an exception in this case. Geriatric patients create a very specific group of patients in which the risk of drug-related problems is increased due to many reasons. Explicit criteria of potentially inappropriate medications/drug procedures (PIMs) in the aged belong to instruments helping with the evaluation of the quality of drug prescribing to older patients and have been developed in the past decades with the aim to increase the quality of geriatric pharmacotherapy and to minimize the quantity and severity of adverse drug reactions. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the registration rates and OTC availability of pharmaceuticals from the PIMs list created for the purposes of EU COST Action IS1402 initiative (2015-2018) in 5 countries - Czech Republic, Estonia, Croatia, Poland and Slovakia. METHODOLOGY: Based on the thesis by S. Grešáková, MS, a list of 487 potentially inappropriate medicines/drug procedures in the aged has been created and subsequently also the record table stating the individual PIMs and other requested characteristics that was later filled by research teams of participating countries in the period from December 2016 to April 2017. In each country the following attributes were monitored:...

INTRODUCTION: The issue of care for older patients has recently been discussed more and more frequently. The proportion of older adults in the population has been raising exponentially, especially in the last few decades, so the expectations concerning the extent and quality of geriatric care increases as well. In order to improve the quality of pharmacotherapy in the old age, many tools have been published in the last 25 years aimed at support of physicians in better care for older adults, enabling selection of safer pharmacotherapeutic startegies that respect specific pharmacological, physiological and homeostatic changes in the old age. Consequently, multiple explicit criteria of potentially inappropriate drugs and drug procedures (PIMs) have been published to help clinicians to distinguish pharmacotherapeutic strategies of choice for geriatric patients and oppositely to identify drugs, indications and dosing schedules potentially inappropriate in seniors. The aim of this diploma thesis was to evaluate in the pilot round the registration rates and other issues related to availability of all known PIMs in countries participating in the EU COST Action IS1402 study. METHODOLOGY: Based on diploma thesis of S. Grešáková, MS ("Application of explicite criteria of medications potentially inappropriate...

Introduction: Proportion of the population over the age of 65 is continuously increasing in the European Union, and therefore, the number of polymorbid patients with polypharmacy, limited functional capacities and syndrome of geriatric frailty is rising every year as well. In order to support the quality of geriatric prescribing and to lower possible adverse drug events, explicit criteria for potentially inappropriate drugs and drug procedures for elderly have been created. The aim of the diploma thesis was to evaluate how many potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) for elderly out of 22 explicit criteria were registered in 6 countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Portugal, Serbia, Spain and Turkey) participating at the 1st phase of the EU COST Action IS1402 initiative and which criterion or what group of regional criteria (European, American, Asian) would be the most specific and most suitable in individual countries for prospective international study following the quality of PIM prescribing. Methods: Of 22 explicit criteria of drugs/drug procedures potentially inappropriate in the old age, validated and published in peer-review journals and journals with the impact factor by 2015 year, a list of all until now known 345 PIMs was created (disregarding the dosage scheme, interval of use or...