Purpose Statement
Polypharmacy use in long-term care facilities is a major problem that requires immediate attention to prevent it from escalating; further, the study aims to state the value of precise sensitivity tests in care settings to lower polypharmacy (Gabauer, 2020). Using multiple drugs to cure illnesses is not reducing infection but enabling the disease agents to mutate, creating super-infections that must be eradicated.
Background and Significance
Residents in long-term care facilities have a high prevalence of using polypharmacy to treat illnesses. While the diseases do not disappear, they mutate and pose a greater danger to these facilities’ residents and the world. It is important to discern that ineffective treatment methods and the development of super-infection are largely to blame for the lack of response, further showcasing the dangerous nature of this practice. Individuals in long-term care facilities are vulnerable and would benefit from the study as it provides information on various methods to curb such activities. Disease treatment in a world permeated with polypharmacy is difficult and elicits the potential for greater harm as the illnesses evolve and reduce the influence of contemporary medication.
It is important to consider the necessity for reduced false negatives when dealing with the issue due to the potential danger to communities. Individuals in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) seek additional help with their illnesses as they do not get definitive aid in dealing with the problem. Discerning the number of sick people and isolating them while working to eradicate it would lower the potential for false positives to influence the study (LTO, 2018). Additionally, the growing number of people that require LTCFs is growing rapidly, allowing the problem to fester in these areas would result in super-infections that may turn into widespread healthcare dangers.
PICOT
Is it possible to use precise sensitivity tests in LTCFs to overcome polypharmacy and infections rather than create super-infections?
References
Gabauer, J. (2020). Mitigating the Dangers of Polypharmacy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. AJN American Journal of Nursing, 120(2), 35–43.
LTO. (2018). Accuracy, precision, specificity & sensitivity. Patient Education on Blood, Urine, and Other Lab Tests. Web.