Through the SIMPATHY project I have gained a broader understanding of the different scenarios in Europe, challenges and solutions, with regard to management of polypharmacy in elderly. This knowledge helps me make the research questions sharper and the studied interventions more feasible and applicable to different settings – generating clinically relevant positive outcomes in the patient population.
As researchers within the healthcare sector, we are often focussed on quantitative data regarding the effectiveness of our interventions. However, there is often a lack of understanding why certain interventions eventually do or do not work in clinical practice. Case studies within SIMPATHY and the SIMPATHY Reference Book provide clear examples of frameworks and theories, such as the Normalization Process Theory, which can be used for qualitative analyses. Such analyses can provide a deeper understanding of different components of the study interventions, for example the implementation, the mechanism of impact and the context, which is often needed to inform policy decisions and further integration of the interventions in daily practice.
by Dr. Ulrika Gillespie
- Case studies were conducted in nine locations across the EU. To learn more click here
- One of the milestones of the project was the development of a toolset for change management and strategic polypharmacy planning. Researcherss can find these results in deliverables D5.1 and D5.2. Click here to go to Deliverables page.