Evaluation of My Medication Passport: a patient-completedaide-memoiredesigned by patients, for patients, to help towards medicines optimisation

Abstract

ObjectivesA passport-sized booklet, designed by patients for patients to record details about their medicines, has been developed as part of a wider project focusing on improving prescribing in the elderly (‘ImPE’). We undertook an evaluation of ‘My Medication Passport’ to gain an understanding of its value to patients and how it may be used in communications about medicines.SettingThe Passport was launched in secondary care with the initial users being older people discharged home after an admission to one of the four North West London participating Trusts. The uptake subsequently spread to other (community) locations and other age groups.ParticipantsWe recruited more than 200 patients from a cohort who had been given a passport as part of the improvement projects at one of four sites. Of them, 63% (133) completed the structured telephone questionnaire including 27% for whom English was not their first language. Approximately half of the respondents were male and 40% were over 70 years of age.ResultsMore than half of the respondents had found their medication passport useful or helpful in some way; 42% through sharing details from it with others (most frequently family, carer or doctor) or using it as a platform for conversations with healthcare professionals. One-third of those questioned carried the passport with them at all times.ConclusionsMy Medication Passport has been positively evaluated; we have a better understanding of how it is used by patients, what they are recording and how it can be an aid to dialogue about medicines with family, carers and healthcare professionals. Further development and spread is underway including an App for smartphones that will be subject to wider evaluation to include feedback from clinicians.

Use of a medication passport in a disabled child seen across many care settings

“…2 Diabetes and asthma are two long-term conditions where such a passport might help encourage young patients in supporting self-care. 4 We believe that MMP can make an important contribution to the management of medicines for children, young people, and their parents and carers. MMP may be one method to offer parents and carers an opportunity to be more empowered in discussing medication-related issues with clinicians across care settings.…”

Designing Heterogeneous-mHealth Apps for Cystic Fibrosis Adults

“…The paper passport solution is designed to be small and convenient to carry (the size of a credit card) and can provide medical professionals the medical data needed to treat the patient immediately [13]. Another example of these paper-based passports can be seen in the research carried out by Barber et al [14]. This passport was developed as a medication aid and allowed geriatric patients to record and review their medications and dosages.…”

The role of patients and carers in diffusing a health‐care innovation: A case study of “My Medication Passport”

“…An evaluation of MMP use demonstrated that it worked well as an aide‐memoire and to improve communication between patients, carers, doctors, pharmacists and other health‐care professionals. Subsequently, MMP was used by other types of user …”

“…Subsequently, MMP was used by other types of user. 27,28 In 2013, the MMP innovation was launched outside the initial to work as part of a service improvement team. This can be seen as part of a larger picture in which a policy context had supported greater attention being paid to enhancing patient involvement in health service improvement.…”