| dc.description.abstract | Background: Home care demand increases due to the ageing population. Efficient home care is essential to remain able to provide the needed care. With properly implemented use of automated home medication dispensers (AHMD), the number of visits needed to support elderly with their medication decreases.
Aim: This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators for implementing AHMD in home care, from home care professionals’ perspective.
Methods: Using a descriptive qualitative design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with home care professionals from a home care organisation in the Netherlands. Content analysis was performed alongside the Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases (TICD) Checklist, which contains seven domains: (1) innovation factors, (2) individual health professional factors, (3) patient factors, (4) professional interactions, (5) incentives and resources, (6) capacity for organisational change and (7) social, political and legal factors. Each determinant was labelled as a barrier, facilitator or both.
Results: Fifteen home care professionals were interviewed. Seventy-eight determinants were identified. The most frequently mentioned facilitators were selection and motivation of patients, providing them with proper instructions and guidance, and home care professionals having sufficient knowledge and confidence. The required unplanned visits when patients do not withdraw their medication is the most frequently mentioned barrier.
Conclusion: An overview of the 78 determinants alongside the domains of the TICD Checklist was developed. Sixty-four determinants (82%) fell within the domains innovation factors (16), individual health professional factors (20) and patient factors (28). Therefore, these domains were the most relevant.
Recommendations (implications of key findings): The determinants should be considered when developing tailored implementation strategies for implementing AHMD. Further research is recommended to determine the perceived importance of the determinants to rigorously prioritise them. Moreover, the perspectives of patients, relatives and informal caregivers should be further investigated. | |
