Prospective review to evaluate the impact of medication changes recommended by consultant geriatricians

A study to identify contributions of geriatric consultation via video conferencing (VC) for residents at long-term residential aged care facilities (RACF) was started in 2012 at The Centre for Research in Geriatric Medicines, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane. Geriatricians made recommendations on patients’ medication (stopped medication, altered dose or commenced a new medication).1 Following up on such recommendations at the VC consultation is important for patient outcomes and safety. One of the important aspects of transition care is a follow up on recommendations made at the time of hospital discharge. Although data on transition of patients to nursing home are lacking, it has been postulated that errors in transitional care may result in adverse patient outcomes.2 Therefore, the aim of this study was to review the impact of these recommendations on patient medications 3 months after the initial VC consultation to determine the extent to which the medication changes recommended by the consultant geriatricians have been implemented in clinical practice..