Doctors and Drugs : How Swedish Emergency and Family Physicians Understand Drug Prescribing
Author: Bastholm Rahmner, Pia
Date: 2009-03-20
Location: Samuelssons auditorium, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 6, Solna
Time: 09.00
Department: Institutionen för lärande, informatik, management och etik, LIME / Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics (Lime)
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thesis.pdf (404.9Kb)
Abstract
Background: Drug prescribing is increasing, making prescribing one of the
most common interventions in healthcare. The beneficial effects of drugs
are manifold, but drug use also involves risks of drug-drug interaction
(DDI), side effects and other drug-related problems. Despite research, a
gap remains in our knowledge about the variation in physicians
understanding of drug prescribing. Knowledge of how physicians think
about and understand drug prescribing might make it possible to influence
their behaviour, and thus improve drug treatment.
Aims: The overall aim of this thesis is to explore how physicians
understand drug prescribing. Two groups of physicians were studied:
emergency room physicians (ERs) and general practitioners (GPs). The
specific aims were to (I) identify ERs perception of possibilities and
obstacles in the implementation of a computerised prescribing support
system; (II) explore how ERs view their work with patient drug treatment;
(III) identify ways of understanding drug prescribing among GPs; and (IV)
explore GPs understandings of who bears responsibility for a patient s
drug list and how this responsibility is managed.
Methods: An inductive qualitative approach was used in order to gain
deeper knowledge about physicians experiences. Data were collected by
means of semi-structured face-toface interviews (Studies I, III-IV) and
focus group discussions (Study II). Thematic (Studies I-II) and
phenomenographic methods (Studies III-IV) were used in analysing data.
Findings: Variations were found between ERs and GPs in their views of
drug prescribing, as well as within the group of GPs. The ERs expressed a
need for more pharmacological training and support in working with
patients drug treatment. They wanted access to current patient drug
lists in order to make the diagnosis safely and quickly. A lack of
follow-up appointments forces ERs to refrain from making changes to a
patient s drug regime. ERs perform their work in the here and now . The
GPs demonstrated how they understood drug prescribing in five ways, each
of which had different foci: the biomedical aspects, the patient and
society. Each GP had access to more than one view, but none included all
five ways. The GPs also demonstrated a variation in understanding about
responsibility for patient drug lists, and in particular about how they
use different strategies to manage this responsibility. These strategies
were described in five ways: imposed responsibility; responsibility for
own prescriptions; responsibility for all drugs; different but shared
responsibility; and patient responsibility for transferring drug
information between healthcare providers.
Implications: The question of responsibility for current patient drug
lists and communication between settings is of utmost importance. In
Sweden, a new law was passed in 2008 allowing the sharing of
patient-specific information between databases. In this thesis, we see
how ERs and GPs understand the responsibility for current patient drug
lists in different ways. These different ways indicate that information
sharing between healthcare providers is insufficient to remove potential
hazards in prescribing. In order to support physicians in moving towards
a comprehensive approach to prescribing, there is a need for a parallel
development in: 1) physicians competence in drug prescribing; 2)
patients understandings of drug use; and 3) technological solutions to
facilitate a shared understanding between different physicians and
patients in drug prescribing/drug therapy.
List of papers:
I. Bastholm Rahmner P, Andersén-Karlsson E, Arnhjort T, Eliasson M, Gustafsson LL, Jacobsson L, Ovesjö ML, Rosenqvist U, Sjöviker S, Tomson G, Holmström I (2004). "Physicians perceptions of possibilities and obstacles prior to implementing a computerised drug prescribing support system." Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv 17(4-5): 173-9
Pubmed
II. Bastholm Rahmner P, Gustafsson LL, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G, Holmström I (2008). " Limit work to here and now A focus group study on how emergency physicians view their work in relation to patients drug treatment." International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 3(3): 155-164
III. Rahmner PB, Gustafsson LL, Larsson J, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G, Holmström I (2008). "Variations in understanding the drug-prescribing process: a qualitative study among Swedish GPs." Fam Pract Dec 22: Epub ahead of print
Pubmed
IV. Bastholm Rahmner P, Gustafsson LL, Holmström I, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G (2008). " Whose job is it anyway Swedish general practitioners perception of their responsibility for the patients drug list." (Submitted)
I. Bastholm Rahmner P, Andersén-Karlsson E, Arnhjort T, Eliasson M, Gustafsson LL, Jacobsson L, Ovesjö ML, Rosenqvist U, Sjöviker S, Tomson G, Holmström I (2004). "Physicians perceptions of possibilities and obstacles prior to implementing a computerised drug prescribing support system." Int J Health Care Qual Assur Inc Leadersh Health Serv 17(4-5): 173-9
Pubmed
II. Bastholm Rahmner P, Gustafsson LL, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G, Holmström I (2008). " Limit work to here and now A focus group study on how emergency physicians view their work in relation to patients drug treatment." International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being 3(3): 155-164
III. Rahmner PB, Gustafsson LL, Larsson J, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G, Holmström I (2008). "Variations in understanding the drug-prescribing process: a qualitative study among Swedish GPs." Fam Pract Dec 22: Epub ahead of print
Pubmed
IV. Bastholm Rahmner P, Gustafsson LL, Holmström I, Rosenqvist U, Tomson G (2008). " Whose job is it anyway Swedish general practitioners perception of their responsibility for the patients drug list." (Submitted)
Issue date: 2009-02-27
Rights:
Publication year: 2009
ISBN: 978-91-7409-347-6
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