Abstract

An experimental study was done to determine the effectiveness of an instructional method for older ambulatory patients taking prescribed self-administered medications. This method was developed to emphasize the physicians' specific orders, the purpose of medications, feedback of instruction and a plan for remembering and recording medications. The hypothesis tested was that a selected group of ambulatory patients age 60 and over with the instructional method would make significantly fewer errors than a similar control group with no instructions.

Sixty private patients from the Loma Linda University Hospital outpatient department were selected and randomly placed in the experimental and control groups. Characteristics of the two groups were comparable. The experimental group was instructed at the time they visited the doctor during the initial interview. All patients were visited in their homes two weeks after the initial interview for a careful medication history.

Errors were classified as non-serious or potentially serious in five categories: omission, self-medication, incorrect dosage, incorrect timing and sequence, inaccurate knowledge. Errors of omission were the most common for both groups. The number of errors in all categories were less for the experimental group. There were no significant differences in the number of people making errors. The participants having the highest mean error rate in both groups were men and those taking eight or ten medicines. In the experimental group the highest incidence was for people taking medicines less than one year. The age group 75-79 had the highest mean error rate in the control group. There were significant differences between the two groups in the mean total errors and mean potentially serious errors at the .10 level using the t-test, thereby supporting the hypothesis.

LLU Discipline

Nursing

Department

Nursing

School

Graduate School

First Advisor

Matilda Anabelle Mills

Second Advisor

P. William Dysinger

Third Advisor

Marilyn J. Christian

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Degree Level

M.S.

Year Degree Awarded

1968

Date (Title Page)

8-1968

Language

English

Library of Congress/MESH Subject Headings

Drug Therapy -- in old age; Drug Therapy -- education

Type

Thesis

Page Count

vi; 72

Digital Format

PDF

Digital Publisher

Loma Linda University Libraries

Usage Rights

This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights.

Collection

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Collection Website

http://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/

Repository

Loma Linda University. Del E. Webb Memorial Library. University Archives

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