Experiences of clients living in inpatient care with regard to the use of the Medido medication dispenser: a qualitative study

Abstract

Abstract Background: The number of elderly people in the population is increasing, therefore additional healthcare professionals are needed. ‘Working differently in healthcare’ is a collaborative program that selects promising innovations which they test and implement within healthcare organizations. One of these promising innovations is the Medido medication dispenser. It will remind clients to take medication at an accurate set time. Goal is to relieve pressure on healthcare professionals and to contribute to the client's self-management. In the Netherlands, Medido is in use in extramural care settings with promising results. The current study focuses on validating the results within the outpatient care setting and obtaining novel results in an inpatient care setting. Aim: To gain insight in the experiences of clients living in inpatient care with regard to the use of the Medido medication dispenser Methods: The study has a qualitative descriptive study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve clients and three healthcare professionals. In addition, a survey was conducted among four healthcare professionals. A thematic analysis was performed to identify patterns and themes in the interviews. Results: Four themes that described the clients' experiences emerged: implementation, usability, client support and acceptance. The guidance and support went smoothly. Clients found Medido easy to use. They saw it as support to be able to take their medication independently and found it useful to use. Conclusion: Medido, supports patients living within inpatient care with complex care needs. The implementation of Medido went smoothly. In addition, clients found Medido easy and pleasant to use and see it as a support to be able to take their medication independently. Furthermore, the clients found Medido useful to use and were open to using this technology. Recommendations: The use of Medido contributes to the self-management of the clients. It is recommended to apply Medido as a form of reablement more widely within inpatient care to enable more clients to take their medication independently. The results of this study reinforces the need to involve clients more in the Medido project through co-creation sessions.