| dc.description.abstracteng | PURPOSE:
Key Question was to find out if prior experiences with sleep-inducing drugs at home and positive experiences with this medication during a hospital stay have an influence on the wish to continue taking sleep-inducing drugs after discharge.
METHODS:
Over 500 older hospital patients were surveyed about the use of sleep-inducing drugs before, during, and after the hospital stay. These answers were compared with their hospital chart. The association between the wish to continue these drugs after hospitalization and the perceived benefits, experience of side effects, and prior experience with sleep-inducing drugs was determined by multivariable logistic regression.
RESULTS:
Around 45 percent (227/508) of the participants reported that they received a sleep-inducing drug during hospitalization. Around one third (148/227). Agreement between patient responses and the hospital file was high (κ = 0.7). According to the patient chart 29,5 % 29,5 percent of the patients received a benzodiazepine or z-drug. Nearly all of the patients experienced benefits due to the medication; but over a third reported also side affects. Over 30% (85/227) wished to continue this medication after discharge. Strong predictors for this wish were any prior experience with sleep-inducing drugs (3.86; 1.99-7.49) and the reduction of sleep onset problems (adjusted odds ratio, 10,23; 95% confidence interval, 2.12-49.28) .
CONCLUSIONS:
Older patients wish or get often sleep-inducing drugs in the hospital. This experience of sleep onset improvements influences the wish to continue sleep-inducing drug use after discharge. Hospital doctors, nurses, GPs and patients should be more informed about the alternatives to a pharmalogical treatment and the risks of benzodiazepines as well as z-drugs. The aim should be a more effective treatment of sleep problems and avoiding a long-term consumption. | de |