Development of a software for medication management in residential structures for the elderly (GESTECH4I)

Abstract

Demographic aging is a widespread problem in the European Union, and Portugal stands out as the European country with the highest proportion of elderly people, in 2050. Associated with the growth of the geriatric population is the increase in multimorbidities and, consequently, the concomitant medication consumption, the so-called polypharmacy. The diseases and the conditioning of the activities of daily living of the elderly population lead to the search for Residential Structures for the Elderly (ERPI) to improve their quality of life. However, overcrowding, lack of sufficient staff, poor interpersonal communication, and the simultaneous performance of different tasks, namely clinical treatment and patient medication management and its recording, cause medication errors (ME) to occur compromising the treatment effectiveness. These MEs happen in the distribution and administration phases, which are the most critical phases of the medication circuit. To fill the aforementioned gap, this Master’s work was carried out to develop technology for medication management in ERPIs, a software (algorithm + interface) called GESTECH4I. This technology allows patient medication data registration, thus promoting a decrease in MEs. For software development, Microsoft Access was used to build the database, where the information resulting from the interaction between the user and software is stored. The algorithm and interface were also developed and coded using the MATLAB App Designer. In this way, GESTECH4I stores the patients’ data, their medication, and administration allowing for an organized, intuitive, sustainable, and quick-to-interpret workflow. The development of this technology is crucial because there is a need for ERPI expansion and the need for improvement in the health services provided. This type of software will enable better management of the medication circuit, as well as reduce associated errors. Although there are already technologies of this type in the market, the focus of them is not adapted to the institution’s needs, regarding the critical phases (distribution/preparation and administration) of the medication circuit. Thus, it was sought to develop a software (GESTECH4I) capable of responding to the institution’s needs in medication management, ensuring better healthcare provision. Therefore, GESTECH4I stands out for its fast interpretation and easy use in both medication distribution and administration.

Date of Award	15 Feb 2023
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Pedro Miguel Rodrigues (Supervisor) & Patrícia Batista (Co-Supervisor)