Transitional nursing remains a critical issue for the modern healthcare sector. It ensures that patients will benefit from a careful and effective transition from one level of health care to another and enjoy the improved outcomes. However, because of the complexity of some cases and peculiarities of the target audience (mainly elderly patients with chronic diseases who need special medications), there is a need for an enhanced approach to groups that face the highest risk of developing complications or rehospitalization. In this regard, the given project aims to identify the most vulnerable group of patients that require additional help to escape medication discrepancies when they move from one form of health supervision to another. The offered document provides the theoretical background for the discussed issue by reviewing the relevant literature and outlines the methodology that can be used to attain relevant data needed for the improved understanding of the problem.
Literature Review
The existing body of evidence accepts the critically important role of medication management in transition care. The appropriate use of pills is one of the vital factors that guarantee recovery and the improved quality of care (Hirschman et al., 2015). However, DelBoccio et al. (2015) emphasize the fact that medication control becomes challenging for elderly patients with chronic illnesses. Under these conditions, the risk of mistakes and deterioration of outcomes significantly increases (Cole et al., 2019). The researchers also admit the fact that transitional pharmaceutical care programs have limited effectiveness regarding the reduction of unplanned rehospitalizations because of the complex nature of the issue and the lack of understanding related to vulnerable categories of patients (Karapinar-Carkit et al., 2019). For this reason, the effective approaches that can help to improve medicine management during transitional nursing should be designed regarding the peculiarities of clients and their needs.
In this regard, the task to define the groups of patients who need specific practices in terms of medication management acquires the top priority. It is one of the sufficient ways to provide nurses with additional information that might help them to attain better outcomes (Redmond et al., 2018). Researchers view the provision of detailed instructions, online monitoring, the use of specific devices reminding about the need for medication intake, and detailed instructions as the possible solutions to the problem (Wheeler et al., 2018). They should also rest on the detailed information about clients to determine what approach should be selected and how it can be implemented regarding patients’ lifestyles and unique characteristics.
Methodology
The choice of the methods to collect data and analyze the issue comes from the research question:
- Which category of patients requires specific practices in terms of medicine management during transitional nursing?
The utilization of the mixed method, with the use of qualitative and quantitative paradigms, is viewed as the advantageous option to ensure the sufficient data collection and creation of the theoretical framework needed for discussion of the topic and conclusion. The analysis of relevant literature to determine the category of patients who show the highest rehospitalization rates can help to acquire information needed to conclude about the most vulnerable group that needs specific practices for improved medicine management. Additionally, the conducting an interview with nurses and physicians working within the transitional care will be another approach viral for collecting information about the most vulnerable groups, common mistakes, and interventions that can be seen as useful tools to improve outcomes.
Sampling and Tools
Non-probability, purposive sampling approach will be employed to select participants for the study. The choice can be justified by the fact that it is vital to acquire information from health workers who work within transitional care and possess the experience and knowledge needed for an improved understanding of the problem. For this reason, only specialists with these characteristics should be involved in the research. As for the literature review, it is important to focus on sources related to patients with the experience of transitional care and the use of medications. Interviews can be conducted online by using such tools as Skype, Zoom, or other specific applications. Platforms for surveys can also be used if participants are more comfortable with this mode. The acquired data can be structured and processed by using MS Office standard applications or SPSS analytic tool to investigate information and present in by using graphs. As for the algorithms or flowcharts, the project mainly rests on the paradigm offered previously:
It helps to view the transition care in the appropriate way and work within the given sphere. Additionally, using the acquired data, the graphical representation of the most vulnerable groups by using a segmental diagram can be built.
Conclusion
Altogether, the discussed project aims at the investigation of the peculiarities of medication management in transition care and generation of the improved vision of the most vulnerable groups who need specific methods to reduce rehospitalization rates and attain improvement of outcomes. The use of the mixed, qualitative-quantitative approach is justified by the nature of the research question. At the same time, there is the need to collect different types of data to create the theoretical framework for the discussion and conclude about the effective interventions.
References
Cole, J., Moss, M., Fu, D., Carson, P., & Xiong, L. (2019). Impact of pharmacist involvement on telehealth transitional care management (TCM) for high medication risk patients. Pharmacy, 7(4), 158.
DelBoccio, S., Smith, D., Hicks, M., Lowe, P., Graves-Rust, J., Volland, J., & Fryda, S. (2015). Successes and challenges in patient care transition programming: One hospital’s journey. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(3).
Hirschman, K. B., Shaid, E., McCauley, K., Pauly, M. V., & Naylor, M. D. (2015). Continuity of care: The transitional care model. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(3).
Karapinar-Carkit, F., Borgsteede, S., Janssen, M., Mak, M., Yildrim, N., Siegert, C., Mol, P., Egberts, T., & van den Bemt, P. (2019). The effect of a pharmaceutical transitional care program on rehospitalisations in internal medicine patients: an interrupted-time-series study. BMC Health Services Research, 19, 717.
Redmond, P., Grimes, T., McDonnell, R., Boland, F., Huges, C., & Fahey, T. (2018). Impact of medication reconciliation for improving transitions of care. Cochrane Database Systemic Review, 2018(8).
Wheeler, A. J., Scahill, S., Hopcroft, D., & Stapleton, H. (2018). Reducing medication errors at transitions of care is everyone’s business. Australian Prescriber, 41(3), 73-77.