Building Medication Profiles in the Elderly: a Qualitative Study Based on Medication Information Literacy in a Long-Term Care Facility

Abstract

Purpose

Long-term care facilities are increasingly challenged with meeting the diverse healthcare needs of the elderly population, particularly concerning medication management. Understanding medication information literacy and behavior among this demographic is imperative. Therefore, this qualitative study aims to explore medication information literacy and develop distinct medication profiles among elderly long-term care residents.

Material and Methods

In this study, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 32 participants aged 65 or older residing in a long-term care facility. The interviews were designed to explore participants’ understanding of medication information, medication management practices, and experiences with healthcare providers. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data, allowing for the identification of common patterns and themes related to medication-taking behavior among the elderly residents.

Results

The thematic analysis revealed four distinct medication behavior profiles among the elderly long-term care residents: (1) Proactive Health Self-Managers, (2) Medication Information Adherents, (3) Experience-Based Medication Users, and (4) Nonadherent Medication Users. These findings provide valuable insights into the diverse approaches to medication management within long-term care facilities and underscore the importance of tailored interventions to support the specific needs of each profile.

Conclusion

This study highlights the necessity for tailored medication education and support to optimize medication management for the elderly. With the aging population expansion, addressing the unique medication challenges within long-term care facilities becomes increasingly critical. This research contributes to ongoing endeavors to enhance healthcare services for the elderly, striving for safer and more effective medication-taking behavior.

Keywords:

• medication information literacy
• medication profile
• long-term care facility
• qualitative study
• elderly

Acknowledgments

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants in the interview study, whose valuable insights were instrumental in shaping the outcomes of our research. Additionally, we wish to express our sincere appreciation to the experts who generously shared their guidance and provided thoughtful appraisals of our manuscript.Special thanks are also due to Chongqing Zhongyi long-term care facilities for their gracious support throughout our research endeavor. Their collaboration has been integral to the success of our study, and we are truly grateful for their assistance and cooperation.

Disclosure

The authors affirm that the research was conducted without the presence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be interpreted as potential conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Project of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education of China [grant numbers 20YJCZH043] and the Smart Medicine Project of Chongqing Medical University [grant number ZHYX202209].