Methods and Barriers to Communication Between Pharmacists During Transitions of Care

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110641
Author(s):  
Jessica Wooster ◽  
Laressa Bethishou ◽  
Stephanie A. Gernant ◽  
Phung C. On ◽  
Danielle M. Candelario ◽  
...  

Background Effective communication between pharmacists across healthcare settings is essential to facilitate transitions of care (TOC) and improve patient outcomes. Objective To explore pharmacists’ communication methods and preferences and identify barriers to communication during TOC. Methods A survey was distributed to a convenience sample of pharmacists in California, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Texas. The survey collected information on pharmacists’ demographics, practice settings, and clinical services, and their methods, preferences, and barriers to communication during TOC. Results A total of 308 responses were included in the analysis. The majority of pharmacists practiced in inpatient pharmacy (39.3%) followed by outpatient community pharmacy (23.4%). About 57.8% of pharmacists reported involvement in TOC services. Among respondents, most reported electronic health record (EHR) as their primary method of communication to receive (66.2%) and send (55.5%) information to perform TOC services. Additionally, EHR was reported as the preferred method of communication to receive (75.4%) and send (75.5%) information during TOC. The primary reasons pharmacists reported not utilizing patient health information were lack of information (38.4%), incorrect information (36.7%), delay in receiving information (36.7%), and lack of time (34.5%). Barriers to providing TOC services included poor communication during handoffs (44.2%) and difficulty obtaining needed patient medical information (43.9%). Conclusion This study identified methods and barriers to communication between pharmacists during TOC across healthcare settings. This provides an opportunity for future research to develop interventions to improve communication between pharmacists at different practice settings.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Vindrola-Padros ◽  
Manbinder S Sidhu ◽  
Theo Georghiou ◽  
Chris Sherlaw-Johnson ◽  
Kelly Elizabeth Singh ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectiveThere is a paucity of evidence for the implementation of remote home monitoring for COVID-19 infection. The aims of this study were to: identify the key characteristics of remote home monitoring models for COVID-19 infection, explore the experiences of staff implementing these models, understand the use of data for monitoring progress against outcomes, and document variability in staffing and resource allocation.MethodsThis was a multi-site mixed methods study that combined qualitative and quantitative approaches to analyse the implementation and impact of remote home monitoring models during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (March to August 2020). The study combined interviews (n=22) with staff delivering these models across eight sites in England with the collection and analysis of data on staffing models and resource allocation.ResultsThe models varied in relation to the healthcare settings and mechanisms used for patient triage, monitoring and escalation. Implementation was embedded in existing staff workloads and budgets. Good communication within clinical teams, culturally-appropriate information for patients/carers and the combination of multiple approaches for patient monitoring (app and paper-based) were considered facilitators in implementation. The mean cost per monitored patient varied from £400 to £553, depending on the model.ConclusionsIt is necessary to provide the means for evaluating the effectiveness of these models, for example, by establishing comparator data. Future research should also focus on the sustainability of the models and patient experience (considering the extent to which some of the models exacerbate existing inequalities in access to care).STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDYThe study makes a contribution to existing evidence on remote home monitoring models by exploring the design and implementation of these models for confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.The study was carried out across eight remote home monitoring models implemented in England, capturing variability in the mechanisms used for triage, monitoring and escalation.Limited evidence was available to assess the effectiveness of the remote home monitoring models.No comparator data were available for the absence of remote home monitoring.The study was designed as a rapid evaluation and only captured experiences and processes of implementation in a convenience sample of eight models implemented during the first wave of the pandemic in England.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehari Gebreyohanns ◽  
Chiamaka C. Onuigbo ◽  
Azhar Ali ◽  
Sonja E. Stutzman ◽  
DaiWai M. Olson

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to compare knowledge of a stroke education module provided to bilingual members of the Ethiopian immigrant population in Dallas, Texas, presented in the Amharic language as compared to in English.MethodsA convenience sample of 84 participants were recruited using a snowball technique and randomly assigned to receive education in English or Amharic. The participants completed a pre- and posttest of their knowledge about strokes, a demographic survey, and a satisfaction survey. Data was analyzed using a general linear model and chi-square analysis.ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences between satisfaction scores comparing those educated in Amharic versus English (χ2 = 6.5108, p = .0107). Although mean pretest (10.8) and posttest (16.4) stroke knowledge scores were higher across all groups (p < .001), the mean posttest scores were lower for subjects who watched the Amharic versus the English video (14.9 vs. 18.1, p = .003).ConclusionThis study did not show a statistically significant increase in knowledge about stroke when presented learning materials in subjects' native language compared to in English. The use of video to present stroke and stroke-risk educational content can be used in future research and global health initiatives to increase stroke knowledge in the Amharic-speaking community.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bolanle A. Olaniran

This paper explores ICTs in the medical field specifically in the Multidisciplinary teams (MDTMs) in healthcare settings. The discussion offers benefits and disadvantages of ICTs along with implications for teams' communication and interaction. The paper also provides a few formidable challenges facing MTDMs while offering suggestions on how to overcome them in an attempt to fully experience and utilize technologies in an effective manner. Finally the paper presents areas for future research given the fact that ICT use in MTDMs will only continue to grow as e-health becomes the norm in patients care and healthcare delivery. In an attempt to accomplish these goals, Retchin's (2008) conceptual framework for inter-professional and co-managed care will be used. Retchin's framework considers the impact of temporality, urgency of care, and structure of authority. Specifically, this framework focuses on how information communication technologies can impact overall patient health care and delivery. In conclusion, the author provides guidelines and recommendations for how physicians and other health practitioners can use technologies to work with each other are provided.


Author(s):  
Bolanle A. Olaniran

This paper explores ICTs in the medical field specifically in the Multidisciplinary teams (MDTMs) in healthcare settings. The discussion offers benefits and disadvantages of ICTs along with implications for teams' communication and interaction. The paper also provides a few formidable challenges facing MTDMs while offering suggestions on how to overcome them in an attempt to fully experience and utilize technologies in an effective manner. Finally the paper presents areas for future research given the fact that ICT use in MTDMs will only continue to grow as e-health becomes the norm in patients care and healthcare delivery. In an attempt to accomplish these goals, Retchin's (2008) conceptual framework for inter-professional and co-managed care will be used. Retchin's framework considers the impact of temporality, urgency of care, and structure of authority. Specifically, this framework focuses on how information communication technologies can impact overall patient health care and delivery. In conclusion, the author provides guidelines and recommendations for how physicians and other health practitioners can use technologies to work with each other are provided.


2021 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Hastings-Tolsma ◽  
Annie Temane ◽  
Oslinah B. Tagutanazvo ◽  
Sanele Lukhele ◽  
Anna G. Nolte

Background: Midwives are essential to timely, effective, family-centred care. In South Africa, patients have often expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of midwifery care. Negative interpersonal relationships with caregivers, lack of information, neglect and abandonment were consistent complaints. Less is known about how midwives experience providing care.Aim: This research explored and described the experiences of midwives in providing care to labouring women in varied healthcare settings.Setting: Midwives practicing in the Gauteng province, South Africa, in one of three settings: private hospitals, public hospitals or independent maternity hospital.Methods: A convenience sample of midwives (N = 10) were interviewed. An exploratory and descriptive design, with individual semi-structured interviews conducted, asked a primary question: ‘How is it for you to be a midwife in South Africa?’ Transcribed interviews were analysed using thematic coding.Results: Five themes were found: proud to be a midwife, regulations and independent function, resource availability, work burden and image of the midwife.Conclusion: Midwives struggle within systems that fail to allow independent functioning, disallowing a voice in making decisions and creating change. Regardless of practice setting, midwives expressed frustration with policies that prevented utilisation consistent with scope of practice, as well as an inability to practice the midwifery model of care. Those in public settings expressed concern with restricted resource appropriation. Similarly, there is clear need to upscale midwifery education and to establish care competencies to be met in providing clinical services.Contribution: This research provides evidence of the midwifery experience with implications for needed health policy change.


Crisis ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Chen ◽  
Brian L. Mishara ◽  
Xiao Xian Liu

Background: In China, where follow-up with hospitalized attempters is generally lacking, there is a great need for inexpensive and effective means of maintaining contact and decreasing recidivism. Aims: Our objective was to test whether mobile telephone message contacts after discharge would be feasible and acceptable to suicide attempters in China. Methods: Fifteen participants were recruited from suicide attempters seen in the Emergency Department in Wuhan, China, to participate in a pilot study to receive mobile telephone messages after discharge. All participants have access to a mobile telephone, and there is no charge for the user to receive text messages. Results: Most participants (12) considered the text message contacts an acceptable and useful form of help and would like to continue to receive them for a longer period of time. Conclusions: This suggests that, as a low-cost and quick method of intervention in areas where more intensive follow-up is not practical or available, telephone messages contacts are accessible, feasible, and acceptable to suicide attempters. We hope that this will inspire future research on regular and long-term message interventions to prevent recidivism in suicide attempters.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-152
Author(s):  
Michelle F. Magee ◽  
Stacey I. Kaltman ◽  
Mihriye Mete ◽  
Carine M. Nassar

Purpose The primary aim of this pilot study was to examine the feasibility of codelivering a mental health intervention with an evidence-based type 2 diabetes (T2DM) boot camp care management program. The preliminary impact of participation on symptom scores for depression and anxiety and A1C was also examined. Methods This was a 12-week, non-randomized pilot intervention conducted with a convenience sample of adults with uncontrolled T2DM and moderate depression and/or anxiety at an urban teaching hospital. Co-management intervention delivery was via in-person and telehealth visits. Participants were assessed at baseline and 90 days. Results Participants (n = 18) were African American, majority female (83%), and age 50.7 ± 13.4 years. Significant improvements in mental health outcomes were demonstrated, as measured by a reduction in Patient Health Questionnaire − 9 scores of 2.4 ± 2.9 ( P = .01) and in Generalized Anxiety Disorder − 7 scores of 2.3 ± 1.9 ( P = .001). The pre-post intervention mean A1C improved by 3.4 ± 2.1 units from 12% ± 1.4% to 8.5% ± 1.7% ( P < .001). Conclusion The data generated in this pilot support the feasibility of delivering a diabetes and mental health co-management intervention using a combination of in-person and telemedicine visits to engage adults with T2DM and coexisting moderate depression and/or anxiety. Further research is warranted.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 146045822199486
Author(s):  
Nicholas RJ Frick ◽  
Felix Brünker ◽  
Björn Ross ◽  
Stefan Stieglitz

Within the anamnesis, medical information is frequently withheld, incomplete, or incorrect, potentially causing negative consequences for the patient. The use of conversational agents (CAs), computer-based systems using natural language to interact with humans, may mitigate this problem. The present research examines whether CAs differ from physicians in their ability to elicit truthful disclosure and discourage concealment of medical information. We conducted an online questionnaire with German participants ( N = 148) to assess their willingness to reveal medical information. The results indicate that patients would rather disclose medical information to a physician than to a CA; there was no difference in the tendency to conceal information. This research offers a frame of reference for future research on applying CAs during the anamnesis to support physicians. From a practical view, physicians might gain better understanding of how the use of CAs can facilitate the anamnesis.


Trials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Bruhn ◽  
Elle-Jay Cowan ◽  
Marion K. Campbell ◽  
Lynda Constable ◽  
Seonaidh Cotton ◽  
...  

Abstract Background There is an ethical imperative to offer the results of trials to those who participated. Existing research highlights that less than a third of trials do so, despite the desire of participants to receive the results of the trials they participated in. This scoping review aimed to identify, collate, and describe the available evidence relating to any aspect of disseminating trial results to participants. Methods A scoping review was conducted employing a search of key databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) from January 2008 to August 2019) to identify studies that had explored any aspect of disseminating results to trial participants. The search strategy was based on that of a linked existing review. The evidence identified describes the characteristics of included studies using narrative description informed by analysis of relevant data using descriptive statistics. Results Thirty-three eligible studies, including 12,700 participants (which included patients, health care professionals, trial teams), were identified and included. Reporting of participant characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity) across the studies was poor. The majority of studies investigated dissemination of aggregate trial results. The most frequently reported mode of disseminating of results was postal. Overall, the results report that participants evaluated receipt of trial results positively, with reported benefits including improved communication, demonstration of appreciation, improved retention, and engagement in future research. However, there were also some concerns about how well the dissemination was resourced and done, worries about emotional effects on participants especially when reporting unfavourable results, and frustration about the delay between the end of the trial and receipt of results. Conclusions This scoping review has highlighted that few high-quality evaluative studies have been conducted that can provide evidence on the best ways to deliver results to trial participants. There have been relatively few qualitative studies that explore perspectives from diverse populations, and those that have been conducted are limited to a handful of clinical areas. The learning from these studies can be used as a platform for further research and to consider some core guiding principles of the opportunities and challenges when disseminating trial results to those who participated.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Fakhoury ◽  
Claudine Burton-Jeangros ◽  
Idris Guessous ◽  
Liala Consoli ◽  
Aline Duvoisin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In Europe, knowledge about the social determinants of health among undocumented migrants is scarce. The canton of Geneva, Switzerland, implemented in 2017–2018 a pilot public policy aiming at regularizing undocumented migrants. We sought to test for associations between self-rated health, proven eligibility for residence status regularization and social and economic integration. Methods This paper reports data from the first wave of the Parchemins Study, a prospective study whose aim is to investigate the effect of residence status regularization on undocumented migrants’ living conditions and health. The convenience sample included undocumented migrants living in Geneva for at least 3 years. We categorized them into those who were in the process of receiving or had just been granted a residence permit (eligible or newly regularized) and those who had not applied or were ineligible for regularization (undocumented). We conducted multivariate regression analyses to determine factors associated with better self-rated health, i.e., with excellent/very good vs. good/fair/poor self-rated health. Among these factors, measures of integration, social support and economic resources were included. Results Of the 437 participants, 202 (46%) belonged to the eligible or newly regularized group. This group reported better health more frequently than the undocumented group (44.6% versus 28.9%, p-value < .001), but the association was no longer significant after adjustment for social support and economic factors (odds ratio (OR): 1.12; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–1.87). Overall, better health was associated with larger social networks (OR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.04–2.64). This association remained significant even after adjusting for health-related variables. Conclusion At the onset of the regularization program, access to regularization was not associated with better self-rated health. Policies aiming at favouring undocumented migrants’ inclusion and engagement in social networks may promote better health. Future research should investigate long-term effects of residence status regularization on self-rated health.


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