Research team
Expertise
Dr. Laura Mortelmans obtained her PhD in 2025 (Universiteit Antwerpen) with research focusing on medication self-management and medication adherence in patients with polypharmacy. She is currently appointed as a postdoctoral researcher at the Centre for Research and Innovation in Care (CRIC), where she is involved in the research lines ‘Workforce Management, Health Systems, and Outcome Research in Care (WORC)’ and ‘Nurse and Pharmaceutical Care (NuPhaC)’. Her research focuses on workforce deployment in healthcare organizations and nurse prescribing. Dr. Mortelmans also serves as a teaching assistant in scientific research within the Master of Nursing and Midwifery Sciences at the University of Antwerp, where she teaches both quantitative and qualitative research methods.
SelfMADIP: The effectiveness of an in-hospital medication Self-Management intervention on medication Adherence after DIscharge in patients with Polypharmacy.
Abstract
In hospital, healthcare providers usually manage medication for patients although patients are expected to self-manage their medication after discharge. A lack of self-management competencies is found to be associated with low adherence levels and medication errors harming patients' health. Approximately 50% of patients afflicted by chronic conditions do not adhere to prescribed medication regimens. When self-management is allowed during hospitalization, it rarely is provided using a structured, evidence based format. Medication self-management is considered to be a promising strategy to optimize adherence rates. To date, however, empirical data demonstrating the effect of medication self-management on patient adherence is lacking. The proposed PhD project will: 1) develop and evaluate an evidence-based guideline for healthcare providers supporting patients with medication self-management problems; 2) explore medication-related shared decision making as a supportive measure in medication self-management; 3) assess the feasibility and applicability of a combined set of tools measuring medication adherence to polypharmacy from a longitudinal perspective; 4) evaluate the effect of structured medication self-management (i.e., SelfMED) on medication adherence after discharge. Using a stepped wedge trial design, the effect of the SelfMED-intervention will be compared to usual care in hospitalized patients with polypharmacy.Researcher(s)
- Promoter: Goossens Eva
- Co-promoter: Dilles Tinne
- Fellow: Mortelmans Laura
Research team(s)
Project type(s)
- Research Project