Validating the medication risk questionnaire with family caregivers of older adults

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To explore the validity of an 8-item version of the Medication-Risk Questionnaire (MRQ8) when completed by family caregivers of older adults. DESIGN: Online survey questionnaire, completed as part of the pretest within an intervention study to support intergenerational women caregivers of older adults. SETTING: Caregiver participants and their family care recipients were community dwelling. PARTICIPANTS: Women 18 years of age and older who assist an earlier-generation relative 65 years of age or older with medical appointments and at least one of three care activities related to prescription drugs. Data on 140 participants were analyzed. INTERVENTIONS: No interventions were evaluated within the current study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: MRQ8, medication management "hassles," plus seven measures of health-related concerns. RESULTS: The MRQ8 was psychometrically sound and correlated significantly with perceived medication management hassles as well as reports of care recipients' falls, injuries, emergency department visits, unplanned health care visits, CDC Healthy Days, and volume of unused medications that interfere with current medication management. The MRQ8 was inversely related to caregivers' satisfaction with health care providers. A cutoff score of 4 or greater successfully discriminated higher-and lower-risk groups on these same variables. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides support for the validity of the MRQ8 when administered to intergenerational caregivers of chronically ill and impaired older adults. The MRQ8 can function to identify higher-risk patients via family caregivers and target them for medication review and other preventive interventions.