Suggestions for improving continuity of medication between hospital and home in a local context of Wallonia

Background: Unjustified modifications of the patient’s usual medication during his hospitalisation induce various problems for the patient (confusion, additional costs) and for healthcare professionals (work overload, additional cost). The principle of favouring dialogue between local actors to reach commonly accepted solutions (KCE, 2010) was used in the current study.
Research question: Which local strategies could be implemented to improve continuity of drug therapy when the patient moves to hospital or back home?
Method: The study took place in Liège (Wallonia). Participants were recruited within four professional groups: general practitioners, hospital specialists, pharmacists and hospital stakeholders. First, a nominal group was carried out for each professional group. Prioritized suggestions were obtained. In a second phase, Delphi method was used. Suggestions from the nominal group were submitted to representatives of each profession (a total of 40) to evaluate relevance, acceptability and feasibility of each one.
Results: A total of 101 suggestions were evoked in the first phase. They were related to two main themes: implication of well-defined actors and development of specific means. Five consensual suggestions emerged from the Delphi process: provision by the general practitioner of a complete list of medication on hospital admission; provision by the hospital specialist of a list of drugs at discharge; development of formal hospital processes to keep the patient’s usual medication; centralisation of medication data; development and use of a unique medical record.
Conclusion: A link medium handled by the patient when he moves to the hospital and back home is the major idea mentioned and accepted by local actors.