Understanding Patient Perspectives on Medications

Overview

Inappropriate use of medicines harms patients' health and increases healthcare costs. When healthcare professionals and patients engage together, healthcare can be based on the patient perspective, so the use of medicines is better tailored to each patient's needs and preferences. The result is a better relationship between patients and healthcare professionals, more appropriate medicines use, improved patient outcomes, and reduced healthcare costs. In this course you will learn about the patient perspective on medicines use, and how to explore and apply it in healthcare and health policy. The course is related to the course Patient Perspectives on Medications: Qualitative Interviews, but each course can be taken separately. The course, Understanding Patient Perspectives on Medications, is created by Anna Birna Almarsdóttir, Lotte S. Nørgaard, Sofia K. Sporrong, Lourdes Cantarero-Arevalo, Anne Gerd Granas, Johanne M. Hansen, Martin C. Henman, Solveig N. Jacobsen, Susanne Kaae, Katja Taxis and Ramune Jacobsen.

Syllabus

Why is the patient perspective important?

This module will give an overview of society-wide challenges related to medicines use. You will learn why it is important to understand the patient perspective on medicines use, and be introduced to issues that will be discussed during the course, such as patients’ perspectives versus professionals’ perspectives on medicines use.

Patient stories

In this module you will learn about patients’ views on medicines use and how medicines are incorporated in their daily lives. You will be introduced to a model summarizing different aspects of the patient perspective on medicines use. You will also meet patients who will tell about their personal experiences with medicines use.

The professional perspective

In this module you will learn that the patient's rationality regarding medicines use is not always in sync with the professionals’ rationality. You will be introduced to various ways of how healthcare professionals evaluate the patient perspective on medicines use. This relates to satisfaction, patients’ attitudes towards medicines, as well as knowledge of, and behavior related to medicines. Lastly, the module will enable you to reflect upon your own assumptions about patients’ medicine use.

How to apply and explore the patient perspective

In this module, you will be presented with examples of how the patient perspective has been implemented into health policy and healthcare practice. You will get acquainted with different aspects of the qualitative interview – a method you can use to explore the patient perspective in depth. Lastly, you will reflect on how to use this knowledge in your professional setting. Please note! This week you must hand in a graded assignment and review three assignments from fellow students.