1
|
Canning ML, McDougall R, Yerkovich S, Barras M, Coombes I, Sullivan C, Whitfield K. Measuring the impact of pharmaceutical care bundle delivery on patient outcomes: an observational study. Int J Clin Pharm 2024; 46:1172-1180. [PMID: 38805086 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-024-01750-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical pharmacists perform activities to optimise medicines use and prevent patient harm. Historically, clinical pharmacy quality indicators have measured individual activities not linked to patient outcomes. AIM To determine the proportion of patients who receive a pharmaceutical care bundle (PCB) (consisting of a medication history, medication review, discharge medication list and medicines information on the discharge summary) as well as investigate the relationship between delivery of this PCB and patient outcomes. METHOD Pharmaceutical care bundle activities were defined within state-wide (Queensland, Australia) clinical information systems and datasets were linked. An observational study using routinely recorded data was performed at ten participating sites for adult patients who had a non-same day hospital stay. The association between extent of PCB delivery and three patient outcomes were investigated: length of stay (LOS), unplanned readmission, and mortality. RESULTS In total 283,813 patient hospital stays were evaluated. The delivery of the PCB occurred in 26.9% of patients at the ten participating hospital sites, ranging from 0.6 to 61.2% across sites. Patients with a longer LOS were more likely to receive delivery of the complete PCB (P < 0.001). There was no correlation between PCB and hospital standardised mortality ratio (r = 0.03, p = 0.93). Higher rates of delivery of the PCB were associated with lower rates of unplanned readmission within 30 days (r = - 0.993, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION A complete PCB was delivered to 26.9% of patients and was associated with a significantly lower rate of unplanned readmission within 30 days.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Luke Canning
- Pharmacy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Rd, Chermside, Qld, 4032, Australia.
- Metro North Clinical Governance, Metro North Health, Herston, Australia.
| | - Ross McDougall
- Pharmacy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Rd, Chermside, Qld, 4032, Australia
| | - Stephanie Yerkovich
- Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, Australia
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Michael Barras
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Ian Coombes
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
- Royal Brisbane & Women's Hospital, Herston, Australia
| | - Clair Sullivan
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
- Digital Metro North, Herston, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Vest TA, Gazda NP, O'Neil DP, Eckel SF. Practice-enhancing publications about the medication-use process in 2021. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2024; 81:e489-e519. [PMID: 38864424 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxae144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This article identifies, prioritizes, and summarizes published literature on the medication-use process (MUP) from calendar year 2021 that can impact health-system pharmacy daily practice. The MUP is the foundational system that provides the framework for safe medication utilization within the healthcare environment. The MUP is defined in this article as having the following components: prescribing/transcribing, dispensing, administration, and monitoring, and monitoring/medication reconciliation. Articles evaluating at least one step of the MUP were assessed for their usefulness toward practice improvement. SUMMARY A PubMed search was conducted in January 2022 for articles published in calendar year 2021 using targeted Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) keywords, and searches of the table of contents of selected pharmacy journals were conducted, providing a total of 7,178 articles. A thorough review identified 79 potentially practice-enhancing articles: 15 for prescribing/transcribing, 17 for dispensing, 4 for administration, 21 for monitoring, and 22 for monitoring/medication reconciliation. Ranking of the articles for importance by peers led to the selection of key articles from each category. The highest-ranked articles are briefly summarized, with a mention of their importance within health-system pharmacy. The other articles are listed for further review and evaluation. CONCLUSION It is important to routinely review the published literature and to incorporate significant findings into daily practice. This article assists in identifying and summarizing the most impactful publications. Health-system pharmacists have an active role in improving the MUP in their institution, and awareness of the significant published studies can assist in changing practice at the institutional level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler A Vest
- Duke University Health System, Durham, NC
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Stephen F Eckel
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill, NC
- University of North Carolina Medical Center, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Marsall M, Hornung T, Bäuerle A, Weigl M. Quality of care transition, patient safety incidents, and patients' health status: a structural equation model on the complexity of the discharge process. BMC Health Serv Res 2024; 24:576. [PMID: 38702719 PMCID: PMC11069201 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11047-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The transition of patients between care contexts poses patient safety risks. Discharges to home from inpatient care can be associated with adverse patient outcomes. Quality in discharge processes is essential in ensuring safe transitions for patients. Current evidence relies on bivariate analyses and neglects contextual factors such as treatment and patient characteristics and the interactions of potential outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the associations between the quality and safety of the discharge process, patient safety incidents, and health-related outcomes after discharge, considering the treatments' and patients' contextual factors in one comprehensive model. METHODS Patients at least 18 years old and discharged home after at least three days of inpatient treatment received a self-report questionnaire. A total of N = 825 patients participated. The assessment contained items to assess the quality and safety of the discharge process from the patient's perspective with the care transitions measure (CTM), a self-report on the incidence of unplanned readmissions and medication complications, health status, and sociodemographic and treatment-related characteristics. Statistical analyses included structural equation modeling (SEM) and additional analyses using logistic regressions. RESULTS Higher quality of care transition was related to a lower incidence of medication complications (B = -0.35, p < 0.01) and better health status (B = 0.74, p < 0.001), but not with lower incidence of readmissions (B = -0.01, p = 0.39). These effects were controlled for the influences of various sociodemographic and treatment-related characteristics in SEM. Additional analyses showed that these associations were only constant when all subscales of the CTM were included. CONCLUSIONS Quality and safety in the discharge process are critical to safe patient transitions to home care. This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex discharge process by applying a model in which various contextual factors and interactions were considered. The findings revealed that high quality discharge processes are associated with a lower likelihood of patient safety incidents and better health status at home even, when sociodemographic and treatment-related characteristics are taken into account. This study supports the call for developing individualized, patient-centered discharge processes to strengthen patient safety in care transitions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Marsall
- Institute for Patient Safety (IfPS), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | | | - Alexander Bäuerle
- Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LVR-University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences (C-TNBS), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Matthias Weigl
- Institute for Patient Safety (IfPS), University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jiang S, Luo T, Zhu Z, Huang Y, Liu H, Li B, Feng S, Zeng K. Latent Profile Analysis of Medication Beliefs in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in the Hospital-Home Transition and Comparison with Medication Adherence. Patient Prefer Adherence 2024; 18:839-853. [PMID: 38645700 PMCID: PMC11032132 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s450107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a protracted and arduous process. Medication, being a universally crucial therapeutic measure, underscores the significance of medication adherence in managing the disease effectively. Medication beliefs have emerged as a significant predictor of adherence, attracting considerable scholarly attention in recent years. However, there remains a paucity of research utilizing individual-centered approaches to explore medication beliefs among the T2DM population during the hospital-home transition, leaving the relationship between these beliefs and medication adherence unclear. Purpose To investigate latent categories of medication beliefs among patients with T2DM during the transition from hospital to home, and to analyze variations in medication adherence across these categories of patients. Patients and methods Between August 2022 and September 2023, this study selected 304 patients with a pre-discharge diagnosis of T2DM as study subjects from a tertiary hospital in Dongguan City. The patients' profiles were assessed comprehensively via the Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics Questionnaire, alongside the Chinese version of Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire-Specific and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8. The present study conducted latent profile analysis using Mplus 7.4 software and analyzed the influencing factors of different medication belief categories and their differences in medication adherence using SPSS 26.0 software. Results The medication beliefs of 304 patients were rated at 3.36±5.24 points, while medication adherence scored 6.23±1.56 points. The medication beliefs were classified into four categories: moderate necessity - low to moderate concern group (40.13%), high necessity - low concern group (9.54%), moderate necessity - moderate to high concern group (19.08%), and moderate necessity - high concern group (31.25%). Age, monthly per capita household income, and place of residence emerged as influential factors for the four categories. Moreover, the disparity in medication adherence among these categories demonstrated statistical significance (P < 0.001). Conclusion The medication beliefs of patients were classified into four distinct categories, and variations in medication adherence were evident across these categories. The high necessity - low concern group demonstrated the highest medication adherence scores, while the moderate necessity - high concern group exhibited the lowest scores. Healthcare providers are advised to tailor personalized medication belief enhancement programs based on patients' homogeneous beliefs, addressing specific issues encountered by each category. This approach aims to ensure optimal medication adherence across diverse medical and social environments, effectively improving patient prognosis and enhancing quality of life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sifen Jiang
- Science and Education Section, Dongguan Eighth People’s Hospital (Dongguan Children’s Hospital), Dongguan, People’s Republic of China
- School of Nursing, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tingyu Luo
- School of Nursing, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhuoqi Zhu
- School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanling Huang
- School of Nursing, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Haopeng Liu
- School of Public Health, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Bing Li
- School of Nursing, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
| | - Suibin Feng
- Surgery Department, Dongguan Eighth People’s Hospital (Dongguan Children’s Hospital), Dongguan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Kun Zeng
- Science and Education Section, Dongguan Eighth People’s Hospital (Dongguan Children’s Hospital), Dongguan, People’s Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Canning ML, Barras M, McDougall R, Yerkovich S, Coombes I, Sullivan C, Whitfield K. Defining quality indicators, pharmaceutical care bundles and outcomes of clinical pharmacy service delivery using a Delphi consensus approach. Int J Clin Pharm 2024; 46:451-462. [PMID: 38240963 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-023-01681-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clinical pharmacy quality indicators are often non-uniform and measure individual activities not linked to outcomes. AIM To define a consensus agreed pharmaceutical care bundle and patient outcome measures across an entire state health service. METHOD A four-round modified-Delphi approach with state Directors of Pharmacy was performed (n = 25). They were asked to rate on a 5-point Likert scale the relevance and measurability of 32 inpatient clinical pharmacy quality indicators and outcome measures. They also ranked clinical pharmacy activities in order from perceived most to least beneficial. Based upon these results, pharmaceutical care bundles consisting of multiple clinical pharmacy activities were formed, and relevance and measurability assessed. RESULTS Response rate ranged from 40 to 60%. Twenty-six individual clinical pharmacy quality indicators reached consensus. The top ranked clinical pharmacy quality indicator was 'proportion of patients where a pharmacist documents an accurate list of medicines during admission'. There were nine pharmaceutical care bundles formed consisting between 3 and 7 activities. Only one pharmaceutical care bundle reached consensus: medication history, adverse drug reaction/allergy documentation, admission and discharge medication reconciliation, medication review, provision of medicines education and provision of a medication list on discharge. Sixteen outcome measures reached consensus. The top ranked were hospital acquired complications, readmission due to medication misadventure and unplanned readmission within 10 days. CONCLUSION Consensus has been reached on one pharmaceutical care bundle and sixteen outcomes to monitor clinical pharmacy service delivery. The next step is to measure the extent of pharmaceutical care bundle delivery and the link to patient outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Luke Canning
- Pharmacy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Rd, Chermside, QLD, 4032, Australia.
| | - Michael Barras
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
| | - Ross McDougall
- Pharmacy Department, The Prince Charles Hospital, Rode Rd, Chermside, QLD, 4032, Australia
| | - Stephanie Yerkovich
- Menzies School of Health Research, Casuarina, Australia
- Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ian Coombes
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
- Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Herston, Australia
| | - Clair Sullivan
- The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, Australia
- Digital Metro North, Herston, Australia
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Hendrix MRS, Yasar M, Mohammad AK, Hugtenburg JG, Vanhommerig JW, Gündoğan-Yilmaz R, van den Bemt PMLA, Denig P, Karapinar-Carkıt F. Prescription Sequence Symmetry Analysis (PSSA) to assess prescribing cascades: a step-by-step guide. BMC Med Res Methodol 2024; 24:8. [PMID: 38212730 PMCID: PMC10782776 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-023-02108-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prescribing cascades occur when patients are prescribed medication to treat the adverse drug reaction of previously prescribed medication. Prescription sequence symmetry analysis (PSSA) can be used to assess the association between two medications in prescription or dispensing databases and thus the potential occurrence of prescribing cascades. In this article, a step-by-step guide is presented for conducting PSSA to assess prescribing cascades. We describe considerations for medication data collection and setting time periods for relevant parameters, including washout window, exposure window, continued exposure interval and blackout period. With two examples, we illustrate the impact of changes in these parameters on the strengths of associations observed. Given the impact seen, we recommend that researchers clearly specify and explain all considerations regarding medication included and time windows set when studying prescribing cascades with PSSA, and conduct subgroup and sensitivity analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mandy R S Hendrix
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mustafa Yasar
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Atiya K Mohammad
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline G Hugtenburg
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Amsterdam UMC, location VUMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joost W Vanhommerig
- Department of Research and Epidemiology, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Patricia M L A van den Bemt
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Petra Denig
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Groningen, University Medical Centre Groningen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fatma Karapinar-Carkıt
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy & Toxicology, Maastricht University Medical Center +, Maastricht, the Netherlands.
- CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Costello J, Barras M, Foot H, Cottrell N. The impact of hospital-based post-discharge pharmacist medication review on patient clinical outcomes: A systematic review. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN CLINICAL AND SOCIAL PHARMACY 2023; 11:100305. [PMID: 37655116 PMCID: PMC10466898 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Clinical pharmacists have been shown to identify and resolve medication related problems post-discharge, however the impact on patient clinical outcomes is unclear. Aims To undertake a systematic review to identify, critically appraise and present the evidence on post-discharge hospital clinics that provide clinical pharmacist medication review; report the patient clinical outcomes measured; and describe the activities of the clinical pharmacist. Methods Published studies evaluating a patient clinical outcome following a post-discharge hospital clinic pharmacy service were included. All studies needed a comparative design (intervention vs control or comparator). Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycnINFO, Web of Science, IPA and APAIS-Health databases were searched to identify studies. The type of clinic and the clinical pharmacist activities were linked to patient clinical outcomes. Results Fifty-seven studies were included in the final analysis, 14 randomised controlled trials and 43 non-randomised studies. Three key clinic types were identified: post-discharge pharmacist review alone, inpatient care plus post-discharge review and post-discharge collaborative clinics. The three main outcome metrics identified were hospital readmission and/or representation, adverse events and improved disease state metrics. There was often a mix of these outcomes reported as primary and secondary outcomes. High heterogeneity of interventions and clinical pharmacist activities reported meant it was difficult to link clinical pharmacist activities with the outcomes reported. Conclusions A post-discharge clinic pharmacist may improve patient clinical outcomes such as hospital readmission and representation rates. Future research needs to provide a clearer description of the clinical pharmacist activities provided in both arms of comparative studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Costello
- The School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Pharmacy Department, Redcliffe Hospital, Metro North Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michael Barras
- The School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Pharmacy Department, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Metro South Health, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Holly Foot
- The School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Neil Cottrell
- The School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lee S, Yu YM, Han E, Park MS, Lee JH, Chang MJ. Effect of Pharmacist-Led Intervention in Elderly Patients through a Comprehensive Medication Reconciliation: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Yonsei Med J 2023; 64:336-343. [PMID: 37114637 PMCID: PMC10151230 DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2022.0620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Polypharmacy can cause drug-related problems, such as potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and medication regimen complexity in the elderly. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a collaborative medication review and comprehensive medication reconciliation intervention by a pharmacist and hospitalist for older patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS This comprehensive medication reconciliation study was designed as a prospective, open-label, randomized clinical trial with patients aged 65 years or older from July to December 2020. Comprehensive medication reconciliation comprised medication reviews based on the PIM criteria. The discharge of medication was simplified to reduce regimen complexity. The primary outcome was the difference in adverse drug events (ADEs) throughout hospitalization and 30 days after discharge. Changes in regimen complexity were evaluated using the Korean version of the medication regimen complexity index (MRCI-K). RESULTS Of the 32 patients, 34.4% (n=11/32) reported ADEs before discharge, and 19.2% (n=5/26) ADEs were reported at the 30-day phone call. No ADEs were reported in the intervention group, whereas five events were reported in the control group (p=0.039) on the 30-day phone call. The mean acceptance rate of medication reconciliation was 83%. The mean decreases of MRCI-K between at the admission and the discharge were 6.2 vs. 2.4, although it was not significant (p=0.159). CONCLUSION As a result, we identified the effect of pharmacist-led interventions using comprehensive medication reconciliation, including the criteria of the PIMs and the MRCI-K, and the differences in ADEs between the intervention and control groups at the 30-day follow-up after discharge in elderly patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION (Clinical trial number: KCT0005994).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sunmin Lee
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicines and Regulatory Science, Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Pharmacy, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea
| | - Yun Mi Yu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicines and Regulatory Science, Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Euna Han
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicines and Regulatory Science, Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
| | - Min Soo Park
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicines and Regulatory Science, Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
- Department of Pediatrics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jung-Hwan Lee
- Department of Hospital Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Inha University School of Medicine, Incheon, Korea.
| | - Min Jung Chang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Medicines and Regulatory Science, Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea
- Department of Pharmacy and Yonsei Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Yonsei University, Incheon, Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Cheng C, Walsh A, Jones S, Matthews S, Weerasooriya D, Fernandes RJ, McKenzie CA. Development, implementation and evaluation of a seven-day clinical pharmacy service in a tertiary referral teaching hospital during surge-2 of the COVID-19 pandemic. Int J Clin Pharm 2023; 45:293-303. [PMID: 36367601 PMCID: PMC9650667 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-022-01475-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seven-day clinical pharmacy services in the acute sector of the National Health Service are limited. There is a paucity of evidential patient benefit. This limits investment and infrastructure, despite United Kingdom wide calls. AIM To optimise medicines seven-days a week during surge-2 of the COVID-19 pandemic through implementation of a seven-day clinical pharmacy service. This paper describes service development, evaluation and sustainability. SETTING A tertiary-referral teaching hospital, London, United Kingdom. DEVELOPMENT The seven-day clinical pharmacy service was developed to critical care, acute and general medical patients. Clinical leads developed the service specification and defined priorities, targeting complex patients and transfer of care. Contributing staff were briefed and training materials developed. IMPLEMENTATION The service was implemented in January 2021 for 11 weeks. Multidisciplinary team communication brought challenges; strategies were employed to overcome these. EVALUATION A prospective observational study was conducted in intervention wards over two weekends in February 2021. 1584 beds were occupied and 602 patients included. 346 interventions were reported and rated; 85.6% had high or moderate impact; 56.7% were time-critical. The proportion of medicines reconciliation within 24-h of admission was analysed across the hospital between November 2020 and May 2021. During implementation, patients admitted Friday-Sunday were more likely to receive medicines reconciliation within 24-h (RR 1.41 (95% CI 1.34-1.47), p < 0.001). Rostered services were delivered sustainably in terms of shift-fill rate and medicines reconciliation outcome. CONCLUSION Seven-day clinical pharmacy services benefit patient outcome through early medicines reconciliation and intervention. Investment to permanently embed the service was sustained.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C Cheng
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK.
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neurosciences Kings College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK.
| | - A Walsh
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
| | - S Jones
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neurosciences Kings College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - S Matthews
- Pharmacy Department, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Gillingham, ME7 5NY, UK
| | - D Weerasooriya
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
| | - R J Fernandes
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
| | - C A McKenzie
- Pharmacy Department, Kings College Hospital, London, SE5 9RS, UK
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neurosciences Kings College London, London, SE1 9RT, UK
- Pharmacy and Critical Care, University Hospital Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, S016 6YD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Alqenae FA, Steinke D, Carson-Stevens A, Keers RN. Analysis of the nature and contributory factors of medication safety incidents following hospital discharge using National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) data from England and Wales: a multi-method study. Ther Adv Drug Saf 2023; 14:20420986231154365. [PMID: 36949766 PMCID: PMC10026140 DOI: 10.1177/20420986231154365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Improving medication safety during transition of care is an international healthcare priority. While existing research reveals that medication-related incidents and associated harms may be common following hospital discharge, there is limited information about their nature and contributory factors at a national level which is crucial to inform improvement strategy. Aim To characterise the nature and contributory factors of medication-related incidents during transition of care from secondary to primary care. Method A retrospective analysis of medication incidents reported to the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS) in England and Wales between 2015 and 2019. Descriptive analysis identified the frequency and nature of incidents and content analysis of free text data, coded using the Patient Safety Research Group (PISA) classification, examined the contributory factors and outcome of incidents. Results A total of 1121 medication-related incident reports underwent analysis. Most incidents involved patients over 65 years old (55%, n = 626/1121). More than one in 10 (12.6%, n = 142/1121) incidents were associated with patient harm. The drug monitoring (17%) and administration stages (15%) were associated with a higher proportion of harmful incidents than any other drug use stages. Common medication classes associated with incidents were the cardiovascular (n = 734) and central nervous (n = 273) systems. Among 408 incidents reporting 467 contributory factors, the most common contributory factors were organisation factors (82%, n = 383/467) (mostly related to continuity of care which is the delivery of a seamless service through integration, co-ordination, and the sharing of information between different providers), followed by staff factors (16%, n = 75/467). Conclusion Medication incidents after hospital discharge are associated with patient harm. Several targets were identified for future research that could support the development of remedial interventions, including commonly observed medication classes, older adults, increase patient engagement, and improve shared care agreement for medication monitoring post hospital discharge. Plain language summary Study using reports about unsafe or substandard care mainly written by healthcare professionals to better understand the type and causes of medication safety problems following hospital discharge Why was the study done? The safe use of medicines after hospital discharge has been highlighted by the World Health Organization as an important target for improvement in patient care. Yet, the type of medication problems which occur, and their causes are poorly understood across England and Wales, which may hamper our efforts to create ways to improve care as they may not be based on what we know causes the problem in the first place.What did the researchers do? The research team studied medication safety incident reports collected across England and Wales over a 5-year period to better understand what kind of medication safety problems occur after hospital discharge and why they happen, so we can find ways to prevent them from happening in future.What did the researchers find? The total number of incident reports studied was 1121, and the majority (n = 626) involved older people. More than one in ten of these incidents caused harm to patients. The most common medications involved in the medication safety incidents were for cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure, conditions such as mental illness, pain and neurological conditions (e.g., epilepsy) and other illnesses such as diabetes. The most common causes of these incidents were because of the organisation rules, such as information sharing, followed by staff issues, such as not following protocols, individual mistakes and not having the right skills for the task.What do the findings mean? This study has identified some important targets that can be a focus of future efforts to improve the safe use of medicines after hospital discharge. These include concentrating attention on medication for the cardiovascular and central nervous systems (e.g., via incorporating them in prescribing safety indicators and pharmaceutical prioritisation tools), staff skill mix (e.g., embedding clinical pharmacist roles at key parts of the care pathway where greatest risk is suspected), and implementation of electronic interventions to improve timely communication of medication and other information between healthcare providers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Douglas Steinke
- Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug
Safety, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences,
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Pharmacy Department, Manchester University NHS
Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Andrew Carson-Stevens
- Division of Population Medicine, School of
Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Richard N. Keers
- Centre for Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug
Safety, Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, School of Health Sciences,
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Suicide, Risk and Safety Research Unit, Greater
Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Lech LVJ, Rossing C, Andersen TRH, Nørgaard LS, Almarsdóttir AB. Developing a pharmacist-led intervention to provide transitional pharmaceutical care for hospital discharged patients: A collaboration between hospital and community pharmacists. EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN CLINICAL AND SOCIAL PHARMACY 2022; 7:100177. [PMID: 36131887 PMCID: PMC9483769 DOI: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2022.100177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Patients who transfer from the hospital back to the community are at risk of experiencing problems related to their medications. Hospital pharmacists (HPs) and community pharmacists (CPs) may play an important role and provide transitional pharmaceutical care in transition of care interventions. Objective To describe how a pharmacist-led intervention to provide transitional pharmaceutical care for hospital discharged patients was developed, utilizing already existing pharmacist interventions in the hospital and community pharmacy. Methods A mixed-method approach to intervention development was applied. Existing evidence was identified through a literature review of effective transitional care interventions and existing services in the hospital and community pharmacy. Focus group interviews and a workshop were carried out with HPs and CPs to identify their perceived facilitators and uncertainties in relation to intervention development. The final intervention and the expected outcomes were developed in an expert group workshop. Finally, the hospital part of the intervention was tested in a small-scale feasibility study to assess what type of information the HP would transfer to the CP for follow up. Results Five components were identified through the 209 systematic reviews: pharmacist-led medication reconciliation, pharmacist-led medication review, collaboration with general practitioners (GPs), post discharge pharmacist follow up and patient counseling or education. HPs and CPs identified uncertainties related to the relevance of the information sent from the HP to the CP, identification of patients at the community pharmacy and communication. The expected outcomes for the patients receiving the intervention were an experience of increased safety and satisfaction and less use of healthcare resources. The feasibility study led to optimization of language and structure of the pharmacist referrals that were used to transfer information from the HP to the CP. Conclusion A patient centered intervention to provide transitional pharmaceutical care for hospital discharged patients was developed using existing evidence in transition of care, HPs and CPs, an expert group, and a small-scale feasibility study. A full-scale feasibility test of the intervention should be carried out for it to be further refined.
Collapse
|
12
|
Gentizon J, Fleury M, Pilet E, Büla C, Mabire C. Conceptualization and content validation of the MEDication literacy assessment of geriatric patients and informal caregivers (MED-fLAG). J Patient Rep Outcomes 2022; 6:87. [PMID: 35984575 PMCID: PMC9389474 DOI: 10.1186/s41687-022-00495-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The assessment of patients’ medication literacy skills (i.e., abilities to access, comprehend and interact with medication-related information) is an important step in assisting clinicians to plan for appropriate care. Despite several attempts by researchers to develop measures of medication literacy, an instrument tailored to the specific needs of older adults remains a significant shortfall. Therefore, an interprofessional team that included a citizen co-researcher conceptualized a new standardised measure of medication literacy—the MEDedication Literacy Assessment of Geriatric patients and informal caregivers (MED-fLAG). MED-fLAG was designed as a three-dimensional self-reported measure of functional, interactive and critical skills. This study describes the conceptualization process and provides the results of an evaluation of MED-fLAG’s content validity, acceptability, and feasibility during a hospital stay. Methods MED-fLAG was developed in accordance with the guidance on scale development and standards for good content validity, by using the following steps: (I) conceptualization of a provisional version of MED-fLAG; (II) iterative qualitative evaluation of its content validity by older adults, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals. Results The qualitative assessment of the initial 54-item MED-fLAG was conducted in 36 participants, namely 13 home-dwelling older adults and/or informal caregivers and 23 healthcare professionals. Six rounds of revisions were performed to achieve content validity and to propose a 56-item revised MED-fLAG. Participants reported benefits of using a standardized assessment of medication literacy during a hospital stay but warned about certain limitations and prerequisites. The extent to which MED-fLAG could be integrated into discharge planning needs to be further investigated. Conclusions MED-fLAG is the first medication literacy measure tailored to the specific needs of older patients and informal caregivers. A unique feature of this measure is that it includes prescribed and non-prescribed medications, irrespective of the galenic form. Additional studies are required to evaluate the other measurement properties of MED-fLAG, and to reduce the number of items before considering its clinical application. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41687-022-00495-2. On the basis of what has been written about medication literacy and the experiences of experts, we developed a new questionnaire to measure medication literacy (MED-fLAG) in older adults and/or informal caregivers. MED-fLAG was then submitted to older adults, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals to retrieve their feedback concerning the relevance, comprehensibility and exhaustiveness of the proposed items. In future, MED-fLAG will allow health professionals to evaluate medication literacy skills in older patients during hospitalization and/or in their informal caregivers when they are responsible for preparing or administering the medications, and then propose individualised support.
Collapse
|
13
|
Bajeux E, Alix L, Cornée L, Barbazan C, Mercerolle M, Howlett J, Cruveilhier V, Liné-Iehl C, Cador B, Jego P, Gicquel V, Schweyer FX, Marie V, Hamonic S, Josselin JM, Somme D, Hue B. Pharmacist-led medication reconciliation at patient discharge: a tool to reduce healthcare utilization? an observational study in patients 65 years or older. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:576. [PMID: 35831783 PMCID: PMC9281036 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03192-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Older patients often experience adverse drug events (ADEs) after discharge that may lead to unplanned readmission. Medication Reconciliation (MR) reduces medication errors that lead to ADEs, but results on healthcare utilization are still controversial. This study aimed to assess the effect of MR at discharge (MRd) provided to patients aged over 65 on their unplanned rehospitalization within 30 days and on both patients’ experience of discharge and their knowledge of their medication. Methods An observational multicenter prospective study was conducted in 5 hospitals in Brittany, France. Results Patients who received both MR on admission (MRa) and MRd did not have significantly fewer deaths, unplanned rehospitalizations and/or emergency visits related to ADEs (OR = 1.6 [0.7 to 3.6]) or whatever the cause (p = 0.960) 30 days after discharge than patients receiving MRa alone. However, patients receiving both MRa and MRd were more likely to feel that their discharge from the hospital was well organized (p = 0.003) and reported more frequently that their community pharmacist received information about their hospital stay (p = 0.036). Conclusions This study found no effect of MRd on healthcare utilization 30 days after discharge in patients over 65, but the process improved patients’ experiences of care continuity. Further studies are needed to better understand this positive impact on their drug care pathway in order to improve patients’ ownership of their drugs, which is still insufficient. Improving both the interview step between pharmacist and patient before discharge and the transmission of information from the hospital to primary care professionals is needed to enhance MR effectiveness. Trial registration NCT04018781 July 15, 2019. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03192-3.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma Bajeux
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Univ Rennes, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France.
| | - Lilian Alix
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Univ Rennes, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Lucie Cornée
- Department of Geriatrics, St-Laurent Polyclinic, Hospitalité St-Thomas de Villeneuve, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Camille Barbazan
- Department of Pharmacy, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Marion Mercerolle
- Department of Pharmacy, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Jennifer Howlett
- Department of Pharmacy, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | | | - Charlotte Liné-Iehl
- Department of Pharmacy, Montfort/Meu Hospital, F-35160, Montfort/Meu, France
| | - Bérangère Cador
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Univ Rennes, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Patrick Jego
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Univ Rennes, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Vincent Gicquel
- Department of Pharmacy, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - François-Xavier Schweyer
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, Univ Rennes, EHESP, EA7348 MOS, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | | | - Stéphanie Hamonic
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Univ Rennes, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| | | | - Dominique Somme
- Department of Geriatrics, Department of Geriatrics, Univ Rennes, EHESP, CNRS, Inserm, Arènes - UMR 6051, RSMS - U 1309 , F-35000, Rennes, France
| | - Benoit Hue
- Department of Pharmacy, Rennes University Hospital, F-35000, Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Klopotowska JE, Kuks PFM, Wierenga PC, Stuijt CCM, Arisz L, Dijkgraaf MGW, de Keizer N, Smorenburg SM, de Rooij SE. The effect of structured medication review followed by face-to-face feedback to prescribers on adverse drug events recognition and prevention in older inpatients - a multicenter interrupted time series study. BMC Geriatr 2022; 22:505. [PMID: 35715742 PMCID: PMC9206349 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-022-03118-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The effectiveness of interventions to improve medication safety in older inpatients is unclear, given a paucity of properly designed intervention studies applying clinically relevant endpoints such as hospital-acquired preventable Adverse Drug Events (pADEs) and unrecognized Adverse Drug Events (uADEs). Therefore, we conducted a quality improvement study and used hospital-acquired pADEs and uADEs as main outcomes to assess the effect of an intervention aimed to improve medication safety in older inpatients. Method The study followed an interrupted time series design and consisted of three equally spaced sampling points during baseline and during intervention measurements. Each sampling point included between 80 to 90 patients. A total of 500 inpatients ≥65 years and admitted to internal medicine wards of three Dutch hospitals were included. An expert team retrospectively identified and assessed ADEs via a structured patient chart review. The findings from baseline measurement and meetings with the internal medicine and hospital pharmacy staff were used to design the intervention. The intervention consisted of a structured medication review by hospital pharmacists, followed by face-to-face feedback to prescribers, on average 3 days per week. Results The rate of hospital-acquired pADEs per 100 hospitalizations was reduced by 50.6% (difference 16.8, 95% confidence interval (CI): 9.0 to 24.6, P < 0.001), serious hospital-acquired pADEs by 62.7% (difference 12.8, 95% CI: 6.4 to 19.2, P < 0.001), and uADEs by 51.8% (difference 11.2, 95% CI: 4.4 to 18.0, P < 0.001). Additional analyses confirmed the robustness of the intervention effect, but residual bias cannot be excluded. Conclusions The intervention significantly decreased the overall and serious hospital-acquired pADE occurrence in older inpatients, and significantly improved overall ADE recognition by prescribers. Trial registration International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register, trial registration number: ISRCTN64974377, registration date (date assigned): 07/02/2011. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-022-03118-z.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E Klopotowska
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Medical Informatics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Paul F M Kuks
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Pharmacy and Clinical Pharmacology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter C Wierenga
- Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Hospital Pharmacy, Ede, The Netherlands
| | - Clementine C M Stuijt
- Center of Excellence on Parkinson's disease (Punt voor Parkinson), Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lambertus Arisz
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Internal Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel G W Dijkgraaf
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health, Methodology, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Nicolette de Keizer
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Medical Informatics, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Public Health, Quality of Care, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne M Smorenburg
- Amsterdam University Medical Centers location University of Amsterdam, Internal Medicine, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sophia E de Rooij
- Amstelland Hospital, Board of Directors, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
En‐nasery‐de Heer S, Uitvlugt EB, Bet PM, Bemt BJF, Alai A, Bemt PMLA, Swart EL, Karapinar‐Çarkit F, Hugtenburg JG. Implementation of a pharmacist‐led transitional pharmaceutical care programme: Process evaluation of Medication Actions to Reduce hospital admissions through a collaboration between Community and Hospital pharmacists (MARCH). J Clin Pharm Ther 2022; 47:1049-1069. [PMID: 35306683 PMCID: PMC9544789 DOI: 10.1111/jcpt.13645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
What is known and objective The recently conducted Medication Actions to Reduce hospital admissions through a collaboration between Community and Hospital pharmacists (MARCH) transitional care programme, which aimed to test the effectiveness of a transitional care programme on the occurrence of ADEs post‐discharge, did not show a significant effect. To clarify whether this non‐significant effect was due to poor implementation or due to ineffectiveness of the intervention as such, a process evaluation was conducted. The aim of the study was to gain more insight into the implementation fidelity of MARCH. Methods A mixed methods design and the modified Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity was used. For evaluation, the implementation fidelity and moderating factors of four key MARCH intervention components (teach‐back, the pharmaceutical discharge letter, the post‐discharge home‐visit and the transitional medication review) were assessed. Quantitative data were collected during and after the intervention. Qualitative data were collected using semi‐structured interviews with MARCH healthcare professionals (community pharmacists, clinical pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and pharmaceutical consultants) and analysed using thematic analysis. Results and Discussion Not all key intervention components were implemented as intended. Teach‐back was not always performed. Moreover, 63% of the pharmaceutical discharge letters, 35% of the post‐discharge home‐visits and 44% of the transitional medication reviews were not conducted within their planned time frames. Training sessions, structured manuals and protocols with detailed descriptions facilitated implementation. Intervention complexity, time constraints and the multidisciplinary coordination were identified as barriers for the implementation. What is new and Conclusion Overall, the implementation fidelity was considered to be moderate. Not all key intervention components were carried out as planned. Therefore, the non‐significant results of the MARCH programme on ADEs may at least partly be explained by poor implementation of the programme. To successfully implement transitional care programmes, healthcare professionals require full integration of these programmes in the standard work‐flow including IT improvements as well as compensation for the time investment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pierre M. Bet
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Bart J. F. Bemt
- Department of Pharmacy Sint Maartenskliniek Nijmegen The Netherlands
- Department of Pharmacy Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Aida Alai
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Patricia M. L. A. Bemt
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology University Medical Center Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Eleonora L. Swart
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy Amsterdam UMC Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Potential to Decrease Hospital Readmission Reduction Program Penalty Through Pharmacist Discharge Visits. J Healthc Manag 2022; 67:25-37. [PMID: 34982747 DOI: 10.1097/jhm-d-20-00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Collapse
|
17
|
Varghese S, Hahn-Goldberg S, Deng Z, Bradley-Ridout G, Guilcher SJT, Jeffs L, Madho C, Okrainec K, Rosenberg-Yunger ZRS, McCarthy LM. Medication Supports at Transitions Between Hospital and Other Care Settings: A Rapid Scoping Review. Patient Prefer Adherence 2022; 16:515-560. [PMID: 35241910 PMCID: PMC8887864 DOI: 10.2147/ppa.s348152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Transitions in care (TiC) often involves managing medication changes and can be vulnerable moments for patients. Medication support, where medication changes are reviewed with patients and caregivers to increase knowledge and confidence about taking medications, is key to successful transitions. Little is known about the optimal tools and processes for providing medication support. This study aimed to identify describe patient or caregiver-centered medication support processes or tools that have been studied within 3 months following TiC between hospitals and other care settings. METHODS Rapid scoping review; English-language publications from OVID MEDLINE, OVID EMBASE, Cochrane Library and EBSCO CINAHL (2004-July 2019) that assessed medication support interventions delivered within 3 months following discharge were included. A subset of titles and abstracts were assessed by two reviewers to evaluate agreement and once reasonable agreement was achieved, the remainder were assessed by one reviewer. Eligibility assessment for full-text articles and data charting were completed by an experienced reviewer. RESULTS A total of 7671 unique citations were assessed; 60 studies were included. Half of the studies (n = 30/60) were randomized controlled trials. Most studies (n = 45/60) did not discuss intervention development, particularly whether end users were involved in intervention design. Many studies (n = 37/60) assessed multi-component interventions with written/print and verbal education components. Few studies (n = 5/60) included an electronic component. Very few studies (n = 4/60) included study populations at high risk of adverse events at TiC (eg, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, low literacy or language barriers). CONCLUSION The majority of studies were randomized controlled trials involving verbal counselling and/or physical document delivered to the patient before discharge. Few studies involved electronic components or considered patients at high-risk of adverse events. Future studies would benefit from improved reporting on development, consideration for electronic interventions, and improved reporting on patients with higher medication-related needs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Varghese
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Michael G.Degroote School Of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shoshana Hahn-Goldberg
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - ZhiDi Deng
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Glyneva Bradley-Ridout
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sara J T Guilcher
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lianne Jeffs
- Institute for Health Policy Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Craig Madho
- OpenLab, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karen Okrainec
- Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zahava R S Rosenberg-Yunger
- Ted Rogers School of Management, School of Health Services Management, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa M McCarthy
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women’s College Research Institute, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Correspondence: Lisa M McCarthy, Clinician Scientist, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners, Tel +1 416-566-2793, Email
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
de Mooij MJ, Ahayoun I, Leferink J, Kooij MJ, Karapinar-Çarkit F, Van den Berg-Vos RM. Transition of care in stroke patients discharged home: a single-center prospective cohort study. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:1350. [PMID: 34922534 PMCID: PMC8684677 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Approximately two-thirds of the patients admitted to the hospital with an ischemic stroke are discharged directly home. Discontinuity of care may result in avoidable patient harm, re-admissions and even death. We hypothesized that the transfer of information is most essential in this patient group since any future care for these patients relies solely on the information that is available to the care provider responsible at that time. Aim The objective of this study was to evaluate the continuity of transmural care in ischemic stroke patients by assessing 1) the transfer of clinical information through discharge letters to general practitioners (GPs), 2) subsequent documentation of this information and early follow-up by GPs and 3) the documentation of medication-related information in discharge letters, at GPs and community pharmacies (CPs). Methods This prospective cohort study was conducted from September 2019 through March 2020 in OLVG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in patients with a first stroke discharged directly home. Outcome measures were derived from national guidelines and regional agreements. Results were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Results A total of 33 patients were included. Discharge letters (n = 33) and outpatient clinic letters (n = 24) to GPs contained most of the essential items, but 16% (n = 9) of the letters were sent in time. GPs (n = 31) infrequently adhered to guidelines since 10% (n = 3) of the diagnoses were registered using the correct code and 55% (n = 17) of the patients received follow-up shortly after discharge. Medication overviews were inaccurately communicated to GPs since 62% (n = 150) of all prescriptions (n = 243) were correctly noted in the discharge letter. Further loss of information was seen as only 39% (n = 95) of all prescriptions were documented correctly in GP overviews. We found that 59% (n = 144) of the prescriptions were documented correctly in CP overviews. Conclusion In this study, we found that discontinuity of care occurred to a varying extent throughout transmural care in patients with a first stroke who were discharged home.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M J de Mooij
- Department of Neurology, OLVG, Jan Tooropstraat 164, Amsterdam, 1061, the Netherlands
| | - I Ahayoun
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, OLVG, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J Leferink
- General Practitioner practice Rustenburg, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M J Kooij
- Community Pharmacy Koning, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - R M Van den Berg-Vos
- Department of Neurology, OLVG, Jan Tooropstraat 164, Amsterdam, 1061, the Netherlands. .,Department of Neurology, Amsterdam UMC, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Implementation of a shared medication list in primary care - a controlled pre-post study of medication discrepancies. BMC Health Serv Res 2021; 21:1335. [PMID: 34903215 PMCID: PMC8670071 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-021-07346-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Access to medicines information is important when treating patients, yet discrepancies in medication records are common. Many countries are developing shared medication lists across health care providers. These systems can improve information sharing, but little is known about how they affect the need for medication reconciliation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether an electronically Shared Medication List (eSML) reduced discrepancies between medication lists in primary care. Methods In 2018, eSML was tested for patients in home care who received multidose drug dispensing (MDD) in Oslo, Norway. We followed this transition from the current paper-based medication list to an eSML. Medication lists from the GP, home care service and community pharmacy were compared 3 months before the implementation and 18 months after. MDD patients in a neighbouring district in Oslo served as a control group. Results One hundred eighty-nine patients were included (100 intervention; 89 control). Discrepancies were reduced from 389 to 122 (p < 0.001) in the intervention group, and from 521 to 503 in the control group (p = 0.734). After the implementation, the share of mutual prescription items increased from 77 to 94%. Missing prescriptions for psycholeptics, analgesics and dietary supplements was reduced the most. Conclusions The eSML greatly decreases discrepancies between the GP, home care and pharmacy medication lists, but does not eliminate the need for medication reconciliation.
Collapse
|
20
|
Cornelissen N, Karapinar-Çarkit F, Heer SEND, Uitvlugt EB, Hugtenburg JG, van den Bemt PMLA, van den Bemt BJF, Bekker CL. Application of intervention mapping to develop and evaluate a pharmaceutical discharge letter to improve information transfer between hospital and community pharmacists. Res Social Adm Pharm 2021; 18:3297-3302. [PMID: 34690086 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insufficient information transfer is a major barrier in the transition from hospital to home. This study describes the systematic development and evaluation of an intervention to improve medication information transfer between hospital and community pharmacists. OBJECTIVE To develop and evaluate an intervention to improve the medication information transfer between hospital and community pharmacists based on patients', community and hospital pharmacists' needs. METHODS The intervention development and evaluation was guided by the six-step Intervention Mapping (IM) approach: (1) needs assessment to identify determinants of the problem, with a scoping review and focus groups with patients and healthcare providers, (2) formulation of intervention objectives with an expert group, (3) inventory of communication models to design the intervention, (4) using literature review and qualitative research with pharmacists and patients to develop the intervention (5) pilot-testing of the intervention in two hospitals, and (6) a qualitative evaluation of the intervention as part of a multicenter before-after study with hospital and community pharmacists. RESULTS Barriers in the information transfer are mainly time and content related. The intervention was designed to target a complete, accurate and timely medication information transfer between hospital and community pharmacists. A pharmaceutical discharge letter was developed to improve medication information transfer. Hospital and community pharmacists were positive about the usability, content, and comprehensiveness of the pharmaceutical discharge letter, which gave community pharmacists sufficient knowledge about in-hospital medication changes. However, hospital pharmacists reported that it was time-consuming to draft the discharge letter and not always feasible to send it on time. The intervention showed that pharmacists are positive about the usability, content and comprehensiveness. CONCLUSION This study developed an intervention systematically to improve medication information transfer, consisting of a discharge letter to be used by hospital and community pharmacists supporting continuity of care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Cornelissen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061AE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Fatma Karapinar-Çarkit
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061AE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Selma En-Nasery-de Heer
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vumc, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Elien B Uitvlugt
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061AE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Jacqueline G Hugtenburg
- Amsterdam UMC, Location Vumc, Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Patricia M L A van den Bemt
- Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Hospital Pharmacy. University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Bart J F van den Bemt
- Department of Pharmacy, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands.
| | - Charlotte L Bekker
- Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6525 GA, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Uitvlugt EB, Heer SEND, van den Bemt BJF, Bet PM, Sombogaard F, Hugtenburg JG, van den Bemt PMLA, Karapinar-Çarkit F. The effect of a transitional pharmaceutical care program on the occurrence of ADEs after discharge from hospital in patients with polypharmacy. Res Social Adm Pharm 2021; 18:2651-2658. [PMID: 34049802 DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2021.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Transitional care programs (i.e. interventions delivered both in hospital and in primary care), could increase continuity and consequently quality of care. However, limited studies on the effect of these programs on Adverse Drug Events (ADEs) post-discharge are available. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a transitional pharmaceutical care program on the occurrence of ADEs 4 weeks post-discharge. METHODS A multicentre prospective before-after study was performed in a general teaching hospital, a university hospital and 49 community pharmacies. The transitional pharmaceutical care program consisted of: teach-back to the patient at discharge, a pharmaceutical discharge letter, a home visit by a community pharmacist and a clinical medication review by both the community and the clinical pharmacist, on top of usual care. Usual care consisted of medication reconciliation at admission and discharge by pharmacy teams. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who reported at least 1 ADE 4 weeks post-discharge. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. RESULTS In total, 369 patients were included (control: n = 195, intervention: n = 174). The proportion of patients with at least 1 ADE did not statistically significant differ between the intervention and control group (general teaching hospital: 59% vs. 67%, ORadj 0.70 [95% CI 0.38-1.31], university hospital: 63% vs 50%, OR adj 1.76 [95% CI 0.75-4.13]). CONCLUSION The transitional pharmaceutical care program did not decrease the proportion of patients with ADEs after discharge. ADEs after discharge were common and more than 50% of patients reported at least 1 ADE. A process evaluation is needed to gain insight into how a transitional pharmaceutical care program could diminish those ADEs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elien B Uitvlugt
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061AE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Selma En-Nasery-de Heer
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Bart J F van den Bemt
- Department of Pharmacy, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Pierre M Bet
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Ferdi Sombogaard
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Jacqueline G Hugtenburg
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081, HV, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Patricia M L A van den Bemt
- University Medical Center Rotterdam, Department of Hospital Pharmacy. University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Groningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Fatma Karapinar-Çarkit
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jan Tooropstraat 164, 1061AE, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Verweij L, Spoon DF, Terbraak MS, Jepma P, Peters RJG, Scholte Op Reimer WJM, Latour CHM, Buurman BM. The Cardiac Care Bridge randomized trial in high-risk older cardiac patients: A mixed-methods process evaluation. J Adv Nurs 2021; 77:2498-2510. [PMID: 33594695 PMCID: PMC8048800 DOI: 10.1111/jan.14786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Aim To evaluate healthcare professionals' performance and treatment fidelity in the Cardiac Care Bridge (CCB) nurse‐coordinated transitional care intervention in older cardiac patients to understand and interpret the study results. Design A mixed‐methods process evaluation based on the Medical Research Council Process Evaluation framework. Methods Quantitative data on intervention key elements were collected from 153 logbooks of all intervention patients. Qualitative data were collected using semi‐structured interviews with 19 CCB professionals (cardiac nurses, community nurses and primary care physical therapists), from June 2017 until October 2018. Qualitative data‐analysis is based on thematic analysis and integrated with quantitative key element outcomes. The analysis was blinded to trial outcomes. Fidelity was defined as the level of intervention adherence. Results The overall intervention fidelity was 67%, ranging from severely low fidelity in the consultation of in‐hospital geriatric teams (17%) to maximum fidelity in the comprehensive geriatric assessment (100%). Main themes of influence in the intervention performance that emerged from the interviews are interdisciplinary collaboration, organizational preconditions, confidence in the programme, time management and patient characteristics. In addition to practical issues, the patient's frailty status and limited motivation were barriers to the intervention. Conclusion Although involved healthcare professionals expressed their confidence in the intervention, the fidelity rate was suboptimal. This could have influenced the non‐significant effect of the CCB intervention on the primary composite outcome of readmission and mortality 6 months after randomization. Feasibility of intervention key elements should be reconsidered in relation to experienced barriers and the population. Impact In addition to insight in effectiveness, insight in intervention fidelity and performance is necessary to understand the mechanism of impact. This study demonstrates that the suboptimal fidelity was subject to a complex interplay of organizational, professionals' and patients' issues. The results support intervention redesign and inform future development of transitional care interventions in older cardiac patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lotte Verweij
- Department of Cardiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Denise F Spoon
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michel S Terbraak
- Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patricia Jepma
- Department of Cardiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ron J G Peters
- Department of Cardiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wilma J M Scholte Op Reimer
- Department of Cardiology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Group Chronic Diseases, HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Corine H M Latour
- Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Bianca M Buurman
- Center of Expertise Urban Vitality, Faculty of Health, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Geriatric Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|