Internationale Delphi panel

Fatma Karapinar and Daniala Weir (Utrecht University), with support from Lina Heier, have led an international Delphi study on medication-related harm. Literature currently presents over 150 different definitions for types of medication-related harm, which leads to miscommunication in international collaborations. Moreover, inconsistencies in the literature make it difficult to compare studies, hindering the development of effective preventive interventions due to unclear underlying causes.

The Delphi panel has made an important first step toward establishing uniform definitions. The next goal is to develop a framework for studies investigating medication-related harm and to aggregate research based on standardized definitions, enabling meta-analyses.

A notable highlight was the participation of Prof. Dr. David Bates, an internist and professor at Harvard Medical School, who joined the panel from the United States. He is one of the pioneers in the field of medication-related harm across hospitals, nursing homes, and home care settings.