Medication management during transitions from hospital to home: a focus group study with hospital and primary healthcare providers in the Netherlands

Background Medication management is jeopardized during a patient’s transition from hospital to home. Insight is required from both hospital and primary healthcare providers on how care should be organised to achieve continuity of medication management. Objective This study aimed to identify perspectives of hospital and primary healthcare providers on barriers to the continuity of medication management during a patient’s transition from hospital to home and facilitators to overcome these. Setting A qualitative descriptive study was conducted within hospital and primary healthcare settings in the Netherlands. Method Two focus groups were performed with two community care registered nurses, two community pharmacists, four general practitioners, two hospital nurses, two hospital pharmacists, four outpatient pharmacists, two pharmacy technicians, and one physician. A semi-structured interview guide was used to identify perspectives of participants on barriers to continuity of medication management and facilitators to overcome these. Data were analysed following thematic content analysis. Main outcome measure Barriers to the continuity of medication management during a patient’s transition from hospital to home would be enumerated, along with facilitators to overcome these barriers. Results Three main themes of barriers and facilitators were identified: (1) healthcare provider collaboration, including the transfer of medication information and effective collaboration; (2) patient’s medication use, including information about medication, personalised care, and supervision after discharge; and (3) organisation of healthcare, including the connection between information systems and the supply of medication. Conclusion Barriers and facilitators to continuity of medication management during the transition from hospital to home occur at the provider, patient, and healthcare-system levels. Future interventions should focus on all levels through interprofessional healthcare teams, tailoring care to patient needs, and on the use of a uniform, nationwide patient electronic health record.