Complexities of medicines safety: Communicating about managing medicines at transition points of care across emergency departments and medical wards

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To explore how health professionals, patients and family members communicate about managing medicines across transition points of care in two Australian public hospitals. Background: Medicines errors are common at transition points of care. Little qualitative work has targeted communicating about medicines management across patients' journeys from admission through to discharge. Design: A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. Methods: In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients and family members, and focus groups and interviews were undertaken with doctors, nurses and pharmacists (n = 103). These individuals were situated in emergency depar..