Net based medication record

Information about chronic patients' medication is stored in different information sources in different organizations (hospitals, general practitioners, emergency units, nursing homes and in people's homes). As many chronic patients are in regular contacts with all these organizations, it is difficult to have a clear picture of which medications the patient is using.

Background

This may lead to errors in medication, wrong treatment, and care. Based on Norwegian research, it is indicated that there are as much as 50 % mismatch between what is prescribed by the general practitioner and what is known in the homecare service. It follows that many resources are needed to control whether the patient is using correct medication. Moreover, it is also indicated that as much as 5-10 % of all hospitalizations are caused by errors in medications (and 10-20 % for elderly). What’s more, according to the Norwegian Board of Health, these errors lead to a minimum of 10-15 deaths and 50-100 injuries a year. As a result, communication between the different health professionals and institutions seems to be a crucial point. Today the routines for communication in some cases are insufficient or do not function as intended.

Goal

To document the effects of a net-based medication records service in terms of medical and economic effects.

Problem

The project will respond to the following research questions:
• Would a net-based medication record service contribute to increased user satisfaction for patients, relatives, and health personnel?
• How will the accordance between the medication record at the general practitioner and the home care service be as a consequence of the service?
• How will the service influence the health personnel work within gathering and verifying medication information?
Methods
A net-based medication record service will be developed and implemented in Tromsø municipal among the users that receive home care service. The medical record will be integrated with the existing electronic health records. In order to document the service a number of scientific subprojects will be accomplished, using qualitative and quantitative methods.

Project manager

Eli Larsen, NST

Project members from the partners

NST, UiT

Researchers

Kjersti Bakken, Johan Gustav Bellika, Ellen Rygh and Eli Larsen (NST). The project is supervised by Per Hjortdal and Gunnar Ellingsen (UiT).

International collaborators

Contact person	Institution
Ole Hanseth	Institute for informatics, University of Oslo
Margunn Aanestad	Institute for informatics, University of Oslo
Professor Eric Monteiro	Department of Computer and Information Science, NTNU Norwegian University for Science and Technology
Phd Student Glenn Munkvold	Department of Computer and Information Science, NTNU Norwegian University for Science and Technology
PhD Signe Vikkelsø	Copenhagen Business School
Post.doc Brit Ross Winthereik	Technical University of Denmark
PhD Roland Bal	Erasmus University Rotterdam
PhD Mark Hartswood	School of informatics, University of Edinburgh
Associate professor Jesper Simonsen	Computer Science, Roskilde University, Denmark
Associate professor Henrik Linderoth	Umeå School of Business, Umeå University

Project start/stop

Project start: 1. January 2007
Project stop: 31. December 2010

Contribution to health care

The health care sector will get an electronic patient record that is more suitable for treatment of their patients in matter of medication and cooperation between institutions.

Contribution to new industry

Electronic patient record vendors will be able to develop their product in a suitable way in order to tailor their product to the user group.

Contact info

e-mail: Eli Larsen, mobile phone: +47 907 78 661

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