Objectives: To evaluate the overall rate of adherence by general practitioners (GPs) to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital and to assess the way communication between secondary and primary care could be improved.
Design: Observational prospective cohort study.
Setting: Patients hospitalized from the emergency department to the acute geriatric care unit of a university hospital.
Participants: 206 subjects with a mean age of 85 years.
Measurements: Changes in drug regimen undertaken during hospitalization were collected with the associated justifications. Adherence at one month by GPs to treatment modifications was assessed as well as modifications implemented in primary care with their rationale in case of non-adherence. Community pharmacists' and GPs' opinions about quality of communication and information transfer at hospital-general practice interface were investigated.
Results: 5.5 ± 2.8 drug regimen changes were done per patient during hospitalization. The rate of adherence by GPs to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital was 83%. In most cases, non-adherence by GPs to treatment modifications done during hospitalization was due to dosage adjustments, symptoms resolution but also worsening of symptoms. The last of which was particularly true for psychotropic drugs. All GPs received their patients' discharge letters but the timely dissemination still needs to be improved. Only 6.6% of community pharmacists were informed of treatment modifications done during their patients' hospitalization.
Conclusion: Our findings showed a successful rate of adherence by GPs to treatment modifications suggested at discharge from hospital, due to the fact that optimization was done in a collaborative way between geriatricians and hospital pharmacists and that justifications for drug regimen changes were systematically provided in discharge letters. Communication processes at the interface between secondary and primary care, particularly with community pharmacists, must be strengthened to improve seamless care.
Keywords: Potentially inappropriate prescribing; adherence by general practitioners; communication; hospitalization treatment modifications; primary-secondary care interface.