The model of care tested in the GPS project aims to optimize pharmacotherapy for seniors undergoing cognitive assessment or suffering from major neurocognitive disorder (MCND) at home. The goal is to reduce polymedication, inappropriate medications and the treatment burden of seniors and to maintain their cognitive health, quality of life and autonomy. The intervention will include knowledge exchange sessions with nurses, pharmacists, and doctors in FMGs, and increased collaboration between these professionals and home care services teams. Other goal is to increase the satisfaction of the seniors, their families, and the professionals involved in the GPS project.
All seniors (65 years of age or older) undergoing cognitive evaluation OR referred to a memory clinic OR having been diagnosed with cognitive impairment within the last year OR with MCND and followed up at home AND,
referred to the pharmacist, for the FMGs exposed
taking prescription medications
Seniors in palliative care OR
unable to answer questionnaires in French AND without a caregiver.
Parallel
GPS clinical intervention
Other interventionNurses and doctors in exposed FMGs and home care teams (HCTs) will be asked to refer to the FMG pharmacist all seniors undergoing cognitive evaluation OR referred to a memory clinic OR recently diagnosed with a cognitive disorder, for a complete and critical review of their medication therapy. FMG pharmacists will be asked to conduct an interview with each referred senior and his or her caregiver, if applicable, in order to establish the best possible treatment regimen. They will compare the information collected with another reliable data source (e.g., pharmacy records) in order to perform medication reconciliation and will then evaluate the medication related problems. Pharmacist will establish a care plan and the follow-ups to be carried out with the patient in collaboration with the health care team. There will be no drug or devices tested, it is a human clinical intervention by a pharmacist.
Change in number of prescribed medications
The total number of prescribed medications and 2) the number of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) according to the Beers criteria or according to the OptimaMed criteria for participants with advanced MCND will be measured in both groups, before, during and after the study.
Change in treatment burden
The treatment burden level will be measured with the 13-item Multimorbidity Treatment burden questionnaire in the intervention and control groups before and after the study. Each item will be scored as follows: zero (not difficult/ does not apply), one (a little difficult), two (quite difficult), three (very difficult), four (extremely difficult).Scores will be interpreted as suggested by the authors of the original MTBQ instrument: no burden (score 0), low burden (score \<10), medium burden (10-22), high burden (\>=22)
Change in number of hospitalizations
The number of hospitalizations in the 12 months prior to the start of the intervention and in the 12 months afterwards will be evaluated by the exploration of the RAMQ data record with the consent of the participant in the intervention and control groups
Change in number of emergency room visits
The number of emergency room visits in the 12 months prior to the start of the intervention and in the 12 months afterwards will be evaluated by the exploration of the RAMQ data record with the consent of the participant in the intervention and control groups.
Change in quality of life
The measure of quality of live will be perform two times with the EQ-5D-5L in the intervention and control groups before and after the study. The descriptive system comprises five dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression. Each dimension has 5 levels: no problems, slight problems, moderate problems, severe problems and extreme problems. Responses are coded as single-digit numbers expressing the severity level selected in each dimension. For instance, 'slight problems' is always coded as '2'. The digits for the five dimensions can be combined in a 5-digit code that describes the respondent's health state. For example, 21111 means slight problems in the mobility dimension and no problems in any of the other dimensions.
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CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval
Lead sponsor
CISSS de Chaudière-Appalaches
Collaborator
Ciusss de L'Est de l'Île de Montréal
Collaborator
Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec
Collaborator
