Article

While numerous therapeutic education programs exist in physical
medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), they rarely concern pharmacological
treatments. Nevertheless, drugs prescribed during a hospital stay can have a
significant risk of adverse events. Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) are among them.
OBJECTIVE: To assess patients' knowledge on their oral anticoagulant
treatment before their hospital discharge. Fifty patients were enrolled
in this prospective, monocenter study. Their level of knowledge was assessed by a
semi-structured interview between the pharmacist and the patients and/or their
caregivers. RESULTS: Seventy percent of patients were able to give the name of
the drug they were taking, 82% could explain its effect and finally, 24% of
patient knew their INR target values. Twenty-two percent of patients were able to
describe the symptoms in case of overdose and what to do in that case. Forty
percent of patients were aware of food interactions and 60% of self-medication
risks. The patient's knowledge and behavior acquired during their hospital stay
are not enough to guarantee a safe treatment management upon discharge. Based on
this study, therapeutic patient education sessions were implemented. CONCLUSION:
These results suggest that specific drug therapy management sessions should be
developed as part of PM&R's therapeutic education programs for patients.
CI - Copyright (c) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS