Characteristics of Patients with Cognitive Impairment Self-Managing Medication Who Received Medication Support

Abstract

Patients with cognitive impairment who self-manage their medications are at an elevated risk of hospital readmission and require appropriate support. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of patients with cognitive impairment who received support despite self-managing their medication. We enrolled patients aged ≥ 65 years with cognitive impairment who were admitted to the Department of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Geriatrics and Gerontology. The patients were categorized into intervention and non-intervention groups based on whether medication support was provided. Subsequently, background information between the two groups was compared. The result revealed that participants in the intervention group had significantly lower body mass index (BMI), serum albumin levels, and Barthel Index scores at the time of admission compared to those in the non-intervention group (P ＝ 0.020, P < 0.001, and P ＝ 0.045, respectively). Additionally, patients with multiple factors, including BMI < 18.5 kg/m², serum albumin < 3.0 g/dL, and Barthel Index < 60 points at admission, were more likely to require support for medication management. These findings suggest that, among patients with cognitive impairment, a decline in activities of daily living and malnutrition during hospitalization may hinder self-medication management.