Improving Pre-Discharge Health Education on Medications Especially Painkiller and Antibiotics to Orthopedic Patients at Butare Teaching Hospital (CHUB), Rwanda
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47672/ajhmn.2702Abstract
Purpose: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health education as consisting of "consciously constructed opportunities for learning involving some form of communication designed to improve health literacy, including improving knowledge, and developing life skills which are conducive to individual and community health. Locally health education included the communication of information concerning the underlying social, economic and environmental conditions impacting health, as well as individual risk factors risk behaviors, and use of the health care system. To improve pre-discharge health education on medications especially painkillers and antibiotics to orthopedic patients at Butare Teaching Hospital.
Materials and Methods: Patients file audit were conducted in August, September and October /2022 on the orthopedic surgical unit to see if there was any pre-discharge health education documentation on medications especially painkiller and antibiotics in patient files as results n=7(23%) patients who did not receive pre-discharge health education on medications while n=23(77%) patients who received pre-discharge health education on medications. This audit was conducted because on post discharge appointments patients arriving with infected or dirty wound delay an appointment, infected implant which could cause serious complications like reoperation and septicemia.
Findings: Based on the results, after one month of intervention pre-discharge health education on medications went up to 21(70%) and the gap remained was 9(30%), Improvement in pre-discharge health education was a key in medication adherence, enhanced self-medication, reduced infections, patients trust toward healthcare providers, quick recovery and improving respect of appointment to the health care setting.
Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: Providing structured pre-discharge medication education at Butare Teaching Hospital will reduce barriers for healthcare providers, support accreditation through proper documentation, and enhance patient understanding. This will improve medication adherence and lower the risk of post-discharge complications, ultimately ensuring better outcomes for orthopaedic patients.
Downloads
References
Benoit, C., Lopez, D., Loiseau, M., Labreuche, J., Kyheng, M., Bourdain, F., & Lapergue, B. (2020). Impact of a Pre-Discharge Education Session on Stroke Knowledge: a Randomized Trial. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 29(12), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2020.105272
Ellen Stephanie. Slovin ’ s Formula Sampling Techniques. SciencingCom [Internet]. 2018; Available from: https://sciencing.com/slovins-formula-sampling-techniques-5475547.html
Ellen Stephanie. (2018). Slovin ’ s Formula Sampling Techniques. Sciencing.Com. https://sciencing.com/slovins-formula-sampling-techniques-5475547.html
Fredericks, S. (2009). Timing for delivering individualized patient education intervention to Coronary Artery Bypass Graft patients: An RCT. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 8(2), 144–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejcnurse.2008.10.007
Kerzman, H., Baron-Epel, O., & Toren, O. (2005). What do discharged patients know about their medication? Patient Education and Counseling, 56(3), 276–282. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2004.02.019
Knier, S., Stichler, J. F., Ferber, L., & Catterall, K. (2015). Patients’ perceptions of the quality of discharge teaching and readiness for discharge. Rehabilitation Nursing, 40(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1002/rnj.164
Kripalani, S., Henderson, L. E., Jacobson, T. A., & Vaccarino, V. (2008). Medication use among inner-city patients after hospital discharge: Patient-reported barriers and solutions. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 83(5), 529–535. https://doi.org/10.4065/83.5.529
Kulkarni, S. P., Alexander, K. P., Lytle, B., Heiss, G., & Peterson, E. D. (2006). Long-term adherence with cardiovascular drug regimens. American Heart Journal, 151(1), 185–191. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2005.02.038
Lotfi, M., Ghahremaneian, A., Aghazadeh, A., & Jamshidi, F. (2018). The Effect of Pre-Discharge Training on the Quality of Life of Burn Patients. Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, 7(2), 107–112. https://doi.org/10.15171/jcs.2018.017
Sciences, H. (2020). Kigali, March 2020. March.
Zhong, Z., Ma, G., Zheng, F., Duan, Y., Ding, S., & Luo, A. (2020). Medication Literacy in a Cohort of Chinese Patients Discharged With Essential Hypertension. Frontiers in Public Health, 7(January), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2019.00385
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Dorothee Niyonsaba, Theogene Twagirumugabe, Gratien Nzayikorera, Sylvain Habarurema, Felicite Mukamana
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
