Shared medication record in general practice - A casestudy
Student thesis: Master programme thesis
- Mari-Ann Domar Lykke
- Kirsten Clement
2 year, Master of Health Informatics (Continuing education) (Continuing Education Programme (Master))
Shared medication record in general practice - A casestudy
Mari-Ann Domar Lykke og Kirsten Clement. Master of Information Technology in Health Informatics, Aalborg University Denmark. 2014
Background: Shared Medication Record (SMR) in Denmark is a visionary technology - a technology still in the implementation phase – trying to establish common medication data, such as prescription, doses, dates, treating physician etc., across health care sectors throughout Denmark. The prime vision of SMR is to create a central database of citizens’ medication, which allows all relevant stakeholders to share information regarding the patients’ actual medication. It will ensure that citizens, patients and clinicians have access to accurate and updated medication records to minimize medication errors.
Objective: The general practitioner (GP) is the patient's gatekeeper an entry point to the health sector, and has the primary contact with the patient. The GP often works as intermediaries or key person, when it comes to sharing information and contacts between the involved parts in patient care. In our case study, we will examine the potentials and challenges seen in the GPs’ practices when using SMR. We will examine how SMR contributes to a coherent collaboration in patient care, and how and why SMR at the GPs has been applied as it has.
Design and methods: Our case study is an empirical case study in which qualitative data collection has been conducted in three GP offices in the region Zealand (RSJ), the region of Denmark where GPs and hospitals have the uttermost highest level of implementation of SMR. By collecting data in this region, we will be able to obtain useful data. The case study begins with information- and literature studies. This followed by observations in GP’s natural surroundings - in their offices. These observations were carried out over three days and involved five different GPs. Finally, we conducted interviews of three GPs.
Results: We find a technically implemented SMR, but we identify a lack of management of organizational and quality considerations with SMR - including agreements for cooperation between sectors, and guidelines for how to use SMR. We believe to have demonstrated the lack of need that clinicians get the opportunity to share experience with others, additional training in the IT system and the need for an IT-educational environment. We find that there is furthermore a need to introduce an incentive structure that rewards horizontal coordination, in order to make the GPs willing and able to assume the role of coordinator for the pa-tient in connection to the SMR. SMR seems to be on the right track, but it has not reached the full potentials yet.
Mari-Ann Domar Lykke og Kirsten Clement. Master of Information Technology in Health Informatics, Aalborg University Denmark. 2014
Background: Shared Medication Record (SMR) in Denmark is a visionary technology - a technology still in the implementation phase – trying to establish common medication data, such as prescription, doses, dates, treating physician etc., across health care sectors throughout Denmark. The prime vision of SMR is to create a central database of citizens’ medication, which allows all relevant stakeholders to share information regarding the patients’ actual medication. It will ensure that citizens, patients and clinicians have access to accurate and updated medication records to minimize medication errors.
Objective: The general practitioner (GP) is the patient's gatekeeper an entry point to the health sector, and has the primary contact with the patient. The GP often works as intermediaries or key person, when it comes to sharing information and contacts between the involved parts in patient care. In our case study, we will examine the potentials and challenges seen in the GPs’ practices when using SMR. We will examine how SMR contributes to a coherent collaboration in patient care, and how and why SMR at the GPs has been applied as it has.
Design and methods: Our case study is an empirical case study in which qualitative data collection has been conducted in three GP offices in the region Zealand (RSJ), the region of Denmark where GPs and hospitals have the uttermost highest level of implementation of SMR. By collecting data in this region, we will be able to obtain useful data. The case study begins with information- and literature studies. This followed by observations in GP’s natural surroundings - in their offices. These observations were carried out over three days and involved five different GPs. Finally, we conducted interviews of three GPs.
Results: We find a technically implemented SMR, but we identify a lack of management of organizational and quality considerations with SMR - including agreements for cooperation between sectors, and guidelines for how to use SMR. We believe to have demonstrated the lack of need that clinicians get the opportunity to share experience with others, additional training in the IT system and the need for an IT-educational environment. We find that there is furthermore a need to introduce an incentive structure that rewards horizontal coordination, in order to make the GPs willing and able to assume the role of coordinator for the pa-tient in connection to the SMR. SMR seems to be on the right track, but it has not reached the full potentials yet.
| Language | Danish |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 1 Jun 2014 |
| Number of pages | 128 |