Effect of integrated medicines management on quality of discharge medication information-a secondary endpoint in a randomized controlled trial.

Background: High-quality discharge information is important to promote patient safety when patients are transferred from hospital to primary care. Patients with multiple long-term conditions are especially vulnerable to insufficient transfer of medication information, as they use many medications and have complex interactions with the healthcare services. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of integrated medicines management provided to hospitalized multimorbid patients on the quality of the discharge medication information.

Need for Human Interaction and Acknowledging Communication-An Interview Study With Patients With Aphasia Following Stroke.

Aim: To explore stroke patients' experiences of the communicative practice during their hospitalisation and describe strategies and supporting communication techniques applied by patients and nursing staff from the patient's perspective.

Design: A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken.

Methods: A qualitative approach was chosen; through a purposeful sample strategy, 13 semi-structed interviews with 12 patients who had aphasia following stroke, and one patient had dysarthria.

Education and training programs for health professionals' competence in virtual consultations: a scoping review protocol.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to explore, report, and map the evidence on education and training programs for current and future health professionals' competence in virtual consultations.

Introduction: Digital solutions, telemedicine, and technologies are increasingly becoming a part of the health system, requiring current and future health professionals to master skills in these domains.

Inclusion Criteria: This review will consider any studies on education and training programs designed to optimize current and future health professionals' competence in virtual consultations in any setting, such as faculties, universities, university colleges, hospitals, or community locations.

Development and external validation of a prognostic model for time to readmission or death in multimorbid patients.

Objective: To develop and externally validate a prognostic model built on important factors predisposing multimorbid patients to all-cause readmission and/or death. In addition to identify patients who may benefit most from a comprehensive clinical pharmacist intervention.

Methods: A multivariable prognostic model was developed based on data from a randomised controlled trial investigating the effect of pharmacist-led medicines management on readmission rate in multimorbid, hospitalised patients.

Human IgG Fc-engineering for enhanced plasma half-life, mucosal distribution and killing of cancer cells and bacteria.

Monoclonal IgG antibodies constitute the fastest growing class of therapeutics. Thus, there is an intense interest to design more potent antibody formats, where long plasma half-life is a commercially competitive differentiator affecting dosing, frequency of administration and thereby potentially patient compliance. Here, we report on an Fc-engineered variant with three amino acid substitutions Q311R/M428E/N434W (REW), that enhances plasma half-life and mucosal distribution, as well as allows for needle-free delivery across respiratory epithelial barriers in human FcRn transgenic mice.

'The way you talk, do I have a choice?' Patient narratives of medication decision-making during hospitalization.

Objective: Based on the principle of the autonomy of the patient, shared decision-making (SDM) is the ideal approach in clinical encounters. In SDM, patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) share knowledge and power when faced with the task of making decisions. However, patients are often not involved in the decision-making process.

Clinical pharmacist intervention to improve medication safety for hip fracture patients through secondary and primary care settings: a nonrandomised controlled trial.

Background: Hip fracture patients face a patient safety threat due to medication discrepancies and adverse drug reactions when they have a combination of high age, polypharmacy and several care transitions. Consequently, optimised pharmacotherapy through medication reviews and seamless communication of medication information between care settings is necessary. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the impact on medication management and pharmacotherapy.

Implementation of pharmacogenetic testing in medication reviews in a hospital setting.

Aim: To investigate whether it is feasible to perform pharmacogenetic testing and implement the test results as part of medication reviews during hospitalization of multimorbid patients.

Methods: Patients with ≥2 chronic conditions and ≥5 regular drugs with at least one potential gene-drug interaction (GDI) were included from one geriatric and one cardiology ward for pharmacogenetic testing. After inclusion by the study pharmacist, blood samples were collected and shipped to the laboratory for analysis.

The phenomenon of urinary tract infection experienced by women with a kidney transplant.

Background: Urinary tract infection is the most common infection among people with a kidney transplant and increases the risk of graft rejection. Women have a higher risk. A literature search did not identify any description of the phenomenon of urinary tract infection experienced by women with a kidney transplant.

The role of drug regulatory authorities and health technology assessment agencies in shaping incentives for antibiotic R&D: a qualitative study.

Background: Few antibiotics have entered the market in recent years despite the need for new treatment options. Some of the challenges of bringing new antibiotics to market are linked to the marketing authorization and health technology assessment (HTA) processes. Research shows great variation in geographic availability of new antibiotics, suggesting that market introduction of new antibiotics is unpredictable.

Effect of integrated medicines management on the quality of drug treatment in hospitalised multimorbid patients - a secondary endpoint analysis of a randomised controlled trial.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of integrated medicines management provided to hospitalised multimorbid patients on the quality of drug treatment at discharge measured as the mean number of potential prescribing omissions and potentially inappropriate medicines.

Methods: Multimorbid patients ≥18 years, using a minimum of four regular drugs from a minimum of two therapeutic drug classes, were recruited from the Internal Medicine ward, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, from August 2014 to March 2016 and randomly assigned, 1:1, to the intervention or control group. Intervention patients received integrated medicines management throughout the hospital stay.

Medication management for patients with hip fracture at a regional hospital and associated primary care units in Norway: a descriptive study based on a survey of clinicians' experience and a review of patient records.

Objective: Patients with hip fracture are at high risk of medication errors due to a combination of high age, comorbidities, polypharmacy and several care transitions after fracture. The aim was to study medication management tasks concerning patient safety: medication reconciliation, medication review and communication of key medication information in care transitions.

Design: Descriptive study comprising a self-administered clinician survey (MedHipPro-Q) and a retrospective review of hospital medical records of patients with hip fracture.

Contribution of the ex vivo placental perfusion model in understanding transplacental immunoglobulin G transfer.

Introduction: The acquisition of humoral immunity in utero is essential for the fetus. The crucial protein, which is responsible for this part of immunity, is immunoglobulin-G (IgG). Immune functions of IgGs are mediated via the interaction of the crystallizable fragment (Fc) region of IgG with specific Fc γ receptors (FcγRs).

Ex vivo dual perfusion of an isolated human placenta cotyledon: Towards protocol standardization and improved inter-centre comparability.

Since the full development of the ex vivo dual perfusion model of the human placenta cotyledon, the technique has provided essential insight into how nutrients, lipids, gases, immunoglobulins, endocrine agents, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, nanoparticles, micro-organisms and parasites might traverse the maternofetal barrier. Additionally, the model has been instrumental in gaining a better understanding of the regulation of vascular tone, endocrinology and metabolism within this organ. The human placenta is unique amongst species in its anatomy and transfer modalities.

Health literacy in medication communication during hospital discharge: a qualitative study at an internal medicines ward in Norway.

Objective: When discharged from hospital patients are often assumed to have sufficient health literacy (HL) to participate in their medical treatment and manage medical self-care after discharge. However, limited HL is a widespread concern and patient participation during discharge is lacking. In this study, we explore how HL influences medication communication during hospital discharge.

Effect of pharmacist-led inhaler technique assessment service on readmissions in hospitalized COPD patients: a randomized, controlled pilot study.

Objective: To investigate the effect of pharmacist-led inhaler technique assessment service on readmissions and CAT-score in hospitalized COPD patients. Furthermore, to provide an effect estimate for sample size calculations for future studies and to gain experience on the feasibility of such studies.

Methods: A randomized controlled pilot study.

Placental transfer and vascular effects of pharmaceutical drugs in the human placenta ex vivo: A review.

At least 80% of pregnant woman in Europe use at least one medication during their pregnancy. The majority of these drugs are prescribed off-label. A better understanding of drug transport and effects in the placenta can provide an improved pharmacological basis to rationalize drug and dose selection for prescription.

Development and initial validation of MedHipPro-Q: a questionnaire assessing medication management of hip fracture patients in different care settings.

Background: A validated questionnaire to assess medication management of hip fracture patients within and outside the hospital setting was lacking. The study aims were to describe the hip fracture patient pathway, and develop a valid and feasible questionnaire to assess clinicians' experience with medication management of hip fracture patients in different care settings throughout the patient pathway.

Methods: This qualitative, descriptive methodological study used strategic and snowball sampling.

Exploring Acceptability Drivers of Oral Antibiotics in Children: Findings from an International Observational Study.

Antibiotics are among the most commonly prescribed drugs in children. Adherence to the treatment with these drugs is of the utmost importance to prevent the emergence of resistant bacteria, a global health threat. In children, medicine acceptability is likely to have a significant impact on compliance.

Placental transport of parabens studied using an ex-vivo human perfusion model.

Introduction: Parabens are a group of chemicals widely used as preservatives in daily consumer products such as cosmetics, food items, pharmaceuticals and household commodities. They have been broadly detected in human samples indicating a general human exposure, and concerns arose from their potential endocrine disrupting effect. Especially the exposure to parabens during pregnancy is concerning, as the time of fetal development is a particularly vulnerable period.

Interprofessional education on complex patients in nursing homes: a focus group study.

Background: An ageing population leads up to increasing multi-morbidity and polypharmacy. This demands a comprehensive and interprofessional approach in meeting patients' complex needs. This study describes graduate students' experiences of working practice based in interprofessional teams with complex patients' care needs in nursing homes.

Intrapartum transfer of oxytocin across the human placenta: An ex vivo perfusion experiment.

Introduction: Investigation of the maternal to fetal transfer of oxytocin across the dually perfused term human placenta.

Methods: Human placentae obtained from term singleton pregnancies were utilized in a dual recirculating model of ex vivo placental perfusion. Six placentae from women delivering by elective cesarean at term were perfused, one blank and five with the test substance synthetic oxytocin (0.

The observer effect in a hospital setting - Experiences from the observed and the observers.

Background: Observation studies are used in health care research, e.g. to explore behaviors of patients or health care professionals in hospitals.