AMDA Foundation - Gurwitz Looks Forward to Meeting with Research Network Members

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Vol XXVIII, Oct `06

Gurwitz Looks Forward to Meeting with Research Network Members

Vol XXVIII, Oct `06

"It's rare to interact with a group of people who have a special interest in long term care research. In fact, these groups are few and far between," said Jerry Gurwitz, MD, AGSF, Professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, of the AMDA Foundation Research Network. A presenter at the group's 2006 Fall Conference, set for October 27-29 in Tampa, FL, Gurwitz further noted, "This is a real opportunity to interact with people who share some of my research interests. I am excited about presenting at this program."

Gurwitz will be discussing "Medication Errors and Adverse Drug Events in Long Term Care," a topic that he has studied and written about extensively. He said, "Medication safety, particularly regarding drugs such as Warfarin, is an important area. About 12% of patients in this population are taking this drug, which requires careful attention and monitoring to use safely and optimally. Safety and antipsychotic medications is another area that calls for greater study, as is the use of multiple psychoactive medications." Gurwitz noted that he and his colleagues are studying "a variety of interventions-both high- and low-tech-related to all of these issues." In his presentation, Gurwitz hopes to convince his audience that "all drugs can cause side effects in older people."

Gurwitz is looking forward to talking with Research Network members about the challenges and opportunities in long term care research. "Our patients are heavily medicated and often sustain adverse drug reactions (ADR). We need a greater understanding of what's going on and how to intervene. Yet, the nursing home is a challenging place to do research and to develop interventions. There also is very limited funding in this area, and many solutions — such as computerized physician order entry — are expensive."