“The strategies are the same, the problems may be different”: a qualitative study exploring the experiences of healthcare and service providers with medication therapy management for individuals with spinal cord injury/dysfunction

This study explores how healthcare providers manage medications for people with spinal cord injuries (SCI/D). Optimal medication therapy management (MTM) is essential to ensure therapeutic benefit from medication regimens. Researchers conducted interviews with 32 healthcare providers to understand their experiences. Each profession had distinct views on their roles in facilitating MTM for persons with SCI/D, which aligned with their respective scopes of practice. The study identified key factors that impact providers' ability to provide MTM, including patient skills, provider knowledge, relationships, collaboration, and funding. Five factors were identified that impacted participants’ abilities to provide MTM for persons with SCI/D: patient self-management skills, provider knowledge and confidence, provider-patient relationships, interprofessional collaboration, and provider funding models including the use of technology-supported consultations.

• 1
  Healthcare providers generally felt that caring for SCI/D patients was similar to caring for other patients, but with added complexity due to physical limitations. Most participants felt that the care they provided for persons with SCI/D was similar to the care that they provided to other patients, with some differences relating to the physical limitations and medical complexity associated with SCI/D.
• 2
  Common tasks among providers included tailoring medications, educating patients, and exploring medication alternatives. Shared provider tasks included tailoring medications, providing education, and exploring medication alternatives.
• 3
  Five factors influenced the ability to provide MTM: patient self-management, provider knowledge, provider-patient relationships, interprofessional collaboration, and funding models. Five factors were identified that impacted participants’ abilities to provide MTM for persons with SCI/D: patient self-management skills, provider knowledge and confidence, provider-patient relationships, interprofessional collaboration, and provider funding models including the use of technology-supported consultations.