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Feasibility of Using a Telemedicine Medication Delivery Unit for Older Adults

NCT01430702 · Status: WITHDRAWN · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Last updated 2013-01-16

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Care transition interventions have been successful in reducing medication-related problems and associated rehospitalization primarily by focusing on medication reconciliation conducted by trained healthcare professionals. Programs to improve the medication reconciliation process have largely been effective, but have limitations including the expense associated with recruiting, training, and retaining care transition healthcare professionals (e.g., nurses and nurse practitioners) the ability to provide services within a finite geographic area, and the retrospective nature of the reconciliation process which usually occurs in the home following hospital discharge. Our short-term objective is to use Pennsylvania Department of Aging resources to assess the feasibility of using a telemedicine medication delivery unit for frail older adults that require medication assistance in their home immediately following an acute hospitalization. As part of this feasibility assessment, the investigators will assess (1) recruitment process and procedures, (2) data collection procedures, (3) resource utilization, (4) drop-out rates, (5) acceptability and usability of the EMMA® telemedicine medication delivery unit, (6) medication adherence, and (7) medication-reconciliation errors during transition from hospital to home.

Conditions

  • Medication Adherence
  • Medication Nonadherence
  • Adverse Reaction to Drug

Interventions

DEVICE

Computerized medication delivery unit (Electronic Medication Management Assistant (EMMA)

The patient's prescriptions and refills are packaged in standard-sized blister cards and loaded into EMMA units. The EMMMA identifies each medication automatically - no patient input is required. When activated by the patient, the medications are selected from the blister cards and released into the delivery tray. The EMMA will remain in the patient's home for a period of 30-days immediately following hospitalization. After 30 days, the EMMA MDU will become available for the next eligible patient. This maximizes the number of patients that can benefit from the MDU, while addressing the transition period when medication-reconciliation problems are most common.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Pittsburgh

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Steven M. Handler, MD, PhD, CMD · University of Pittsburgh -- of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
65 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2011-09-30
Primary Completion
2011-12-31
Completion
2012-04-30

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT01430702 on ClinicalTrials.gov