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Interventions to optimize prescribing for older people in care homes
Christine C. Neville. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 2019-07-09
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
In 2017, the United Nations reported that the world's population aged 60 years and over was 962 million people, over twice as many older persons than was reported in 1980. This number is expected to double again by 2050, reaching nearly 2.1 billion older persons. Within this projection, the number of persons aged 80 years or over will increase more than threefold, increasing from 137 million to 425 million (United Nations, 2017). \n \nGrowing old is often accompanied by a higher prevalence of medical conditions which can result in the development of moderate to severe functional and/or cognitive impairments to the extent that long‐term accommodation and care is needed. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2017), across their participating countries, there is on average 46 long‐term care beds per 1000 people aged 65 years and over. \n \nPrevention and management of medical conditions and comorbidities typically requires the use of medicines leading to often complex regimes. Polypharmacy, where four or more different medicines are prescribed, may be the unintended consequence. Polypharmacy can be appropriate and necessary, but inappropriate polypharmacy is common in this population. Underprescription may also be a concern, for example, pain medicines for a person unable to express themselves. Prescribing is further complicated by age‐related changes that influence how drugs move around the body and how this impacts on the therapeutic effects of drugs (Kim & Luck Parish, 2017). \n \nNurses caring for older people in care homes play a vital role in the optimization of medicines. As part of a multidisciplinary team, nurses are in the position to closely assess, monitor, and report the need for medicines and any potential or real adverse outcomes of already prescribed medicines (Halvorsen, Stensland, & Granas, 2011). Nurses need to know about evidence‐based interventions to optimize prescribing and the quality of the evidence given the frailty and vulnerability of older people residing in care homes.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Neville, C. C. (2019). Interventions to optimize prescribing for older people in care homes. International Journal of Nursing Practice. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12763
Vancouver
Neville CC. Interventions to optimize prescribing for older people in care homes. International Journal of Nursing Practice. 2019. doi:10.1111/ijn.12763. PMID: 31290242.
BibTeX
@article{neville2019-31290242,
author = {Neville, Christine C.},
title = {{Interventions to optimize prescribing for older people in care homes}},
journal = {International Journal of Nursing Practice},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.1111/ijn.12763},
pmid = {31290242},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ijn.12763}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Within this projection, the number of persons aged 80 years or over will increase more than threefold, increasing from 137 million to 425 million (United Nations, 2017). \n \nGrowing old is often accompanied by a higher prevalence of medical conditions which can result in the development of moderate to severe functional and/or cognitive impairments to the extent that long‐term accommodation and care is needed.
Why it matters
This review concerns interventions to improve prescribing for older people in care homes, where polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing are common. It does not report results on treating, curing or preventing Alzheimer's disease itself.
Study details
- Participants1,000
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 34/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International Journal of Nursing Practice) |
| Journal's citation record | 1 / 4 | International Journal of Nursing Practice: journal h-index 91 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,000 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 2 / 7 | Cited 7 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 0 / 5 | 0.8 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 1 / 6 | Cited 0.1× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 0 / 4 | Cited 0 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Christine C. Neville: h-index 23 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | University of Southern Queensland: institution h-index 322 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31290242) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 34 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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