sábado, 13 de marzo de 2010

The impact of a pharmacist's participation on hospitalists' rounds.



The impact of a pharmacist's participation on hospitalists' rounds.
Patel R, Butler K, Garrett D, Badger N, Cheoun D, Hallman L. Hosp Pharm. 2010;45:129–134.

This study found that pharmacists provide both clinical and financial benefits by being more actively engaged in patient care rounds.



full-text and abstract:
http://thomasland.metapress.com/content/x322572353543102/fulltext.pdf


http://thomasland.metapress.com/content/x322572353543102/

Authors
Reena Patel, PharmD, BCPS1, Kimberly Butler, PharmD1, Deidra Garrett, PharmD, BCNSP1, Naadede Badger, PharmD, BCPS1, Diane Cheoun, PharmD, BCPS1, Laura Hallman, PharmD1
1Pharmacy Department, Piedmont Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia, USA


Abstract

Background:
Expanding the role of pharmacists in the hospital setting has the potential to positively impact the quality of patient care and provide cost savings. Previous studies have shown that integrating pharmacists into rounding teams can enhance patient care through interventions at the point of assessment and prescribing. This study examines these potential benefits at a community hospital that does not have formal hospitalist rounds and in which the pharmacists must make recommendations via written communication.

Objective: The primary objective was to identify the number of interventions and to determine how to optimally utilize a pharmacist for a group of 19 hospitalists. Secondary objectives included estimating pharmacist time invested and cost savings.

Methods: Initially, methods in this study included reviewing patient medication profiles and informally rounding with the hospitalists. Interventions were performed at the time of rounding. After 2 weeks of rounding, methods were altered to improve the efficiency of the pharmacist's time. Patient profiles were reviewed and interventions were performed by written communication.

Results: A total of 386 patients were reviewed, with 117 interventions discovered. Fifty-eight verbal interventions were made during rounds with a 93% acceptance rate. Fifty-nine written interventions were made in the second part of the study with a 76% acceptance rate. The pharmacist spent an average of 10 minutes reviewing each patient profile, which resulted in a savings of 16 per hour of time invested. An actual cost savings of3,900 was produced by 64 of the interventions, and the potential cost savings of the remaining 53 interventions exceeded $100,000.

Conclusion: Opportunities for pharmacist interventions exist within a hospitalists’ team and the potential benefits to patient care, along with the actual and potential cost savings, should justify creating collaborations between pharmacists and hospitalists.


Keywords
collaboration, community hospital, hospitalist, hospitalist team, intervention, pharmacist, rounding

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