Table 7 Summary of identified barriers of participating key contacts
Summary of barriers in order of prevalence | Number of facilities (%) |
|---|---|
Resident & family beliefs or attitudes (e.g. related to polypharmacy, cost or cultural barriers) | 34 (83) |
GP beliefs & attitudes (e.g. related to clinical evidence, polypharmacy, blood tests or sunlight exposure) | 26 (63) |
Suitability of residents for vitamin D (e.g. due to medical contraindication, vitamin D sufficiency, immobility, perceived need for vitamin D relating to cognition, sunlight exposure or changing care needs) | 20 (49) |
Competing priorities/ time/ capacity to implement (e.g. due to staff shortages, other projects focused on polypharmacy or medication simplification, lack of funding to support prevention or competing priorities such as accreditation & renovation) | 20 (49) |
Resident and family knowledge or understanding | 17 (42) |
Awareness/ process/ prompt for staff | 17 (42) |
Resident behaviours (e.g. medication refusal due to dementia, swallowing difficulties or mental health) | 13 (32) |
Contact with general practitioners (e.g. due to having many GPs, or GPs that do not regularly visit) | 12 (29) |
Staff turnover | 12 (29) |
Resident turnover | 10 (24) |
Leadership/ culture/ motivation to change (from both the local management and organisation levels) | 8 (20) |
GP knowledge (e.g. related to current guidelines and available vitamin D formulations) | 7 (17) |
Pharmacist attitudes & beliefs | 6 (15) |
Staff knowledge | 2 (5) |
No obvious way to demonstrate the benefits of vitamin D | 1 (2) |