Conclusion : The MTM telepharmacist and nurse played integral roles in facilitating and streamlining focused follow-up appointments between the patient and provider to promptly resolve patient concerns and therapeutic issues . Interprofessional collaboration between the pharmacists and outpatient providers resulted in identification of recommendations regarding : treatment guidelines , dosage adjustments , monitoring parameters , and drug / disease-drug interactions . Future research is needed to determine the impact of longer-term transitional care programs on the number of telepharmacist interventions made and subsequent provider acceptance rates .
5 . Interprofessional Medication Therapy Management Services via Collaborative Video Conferencing Technology for Patients with Epilepsy
Kate Johnson , BSN , RN , Jennifer Bingham , PharmD , David Rhys Axon , MPharm , Sandra Leal , PharmD , MPH
SinfoníaRx , University of Arizona Medication Management Center
Background : Patients with epilepsy often face challenges with access to healthcare and management of their conditions . 1 ) Additionally , patients living in rural areas typically have poorer access to clinical pharmacy services than their urban counterparts . 2 ) Limited literature exists regarding interprofessional collaboration via video conferencing for these patients .
Methods : A University of Arizona Medication Management Center ( UAMMC ) clinical telepharmacist participated in weekly , collaborative video conferencing appointments between Epilepsy Foundation patients and their epileptologist . During the consultation , the UAMMC telepharmacist : performed a comprehensive medication review ( CMR ); evaluated the patient ’ s medication list for safety concerns and medicationrelated problems ( MRPs ); provided patient counseling ; and collaborated with the epileptologist on clinical decision making ( e . g ., dosing , side effects , and pharmacy-related questions ). Each patient received a typewritten medication list and personalized action plan via mail , following his / her appointment . Patients received a follow-up phone call from the UAMMC telepharmacist three to six months after the initial review , depending on the severity of concerns identified initially . The telepharmacist documented notes and medicationrelated recommendations in the Epilepsy Foundation ’ s electronic health record following all consultations .
Results : Initial CMRs were completed with 63 patients resulting in identification of : 66 drug-drug interactions ; 37 adverse drug reactions ; 35 dose-related safety concerns ; 13 therapeutic duplications ; and 13 drug-disease interactions . Patients had an average of 2.60 ( SD : 2.14 ) MRPs identified per person . Roughly one fifth ( 17.5 %) of patients self-reported
“ sometimes ”, “ often ”, or “ very often ” forgetting to take their medications in the past month , prompting additional telepharmacist-delivered adherence counseling .
Conclusions : Preliminary analysis revealed positive program outcomes , suggesting that this telehealth program offers a novel and feasible solution for integrating clinical pharmacists into standard epilepsy care and increasing respective rural patients ’ access to MTM services . Future research is needed to examine the cost effectiveness of this type of collaboration and explore patient-related outcomes in diverse populations and clinical settings .
6 . What Makes an Effective User Interface for Virtual Care Solutions ?
Scott Brown and Kevin L . Smith , DNP , FNP , FAANP Zipnosis , Inc .
Background : Innovative care delivery through virtual care holds enormous potential for driving care quality and efficiency , customizing support for patients , and promoting patient engagement to produce positive health outcomes . However , before virtual care can achieve its potential , patients need to embrace it . User experience ( UX ) plays a key role in driving adoption of digital health technologies like virtual care . In fact , adoption and sustained use of technology are tied directly to ease of use and the perceived utility of available information .
Methods : Zipnosis partnered with a user experience consulting firm to perform a comprehensive UX research project . This project consisted of 1:1 interviews during which users worked through a series of tasks in the application . Qualitative and quantitative data was collected to evaluate the user experience both before and after redesign .
Results : The interviews uncovered several important areas UX needs to address :
Ease of use — the process for accessing care needs to be simple and intuitive for patients accessing care .
Expectations — patients want to know what to expect regarding process , payment , and possible outcomes prior to starting a visit .
Generational preferences — different age groups preferred to interact with virtual care differently , and needed varying levels of assistance throughout the process .
Empathy — patients were seeking empathetic language in digital interactions , just as they would in an in-person interaction with a healthcare provider .
Conclusions : Post-redesign interviews indicate that a usercentered design in virtual care can improve patient satisfaction . The redesigned platform is moving into pilot phase with several health systems . Anticipated results , based on UX interventions in a variety of industries and software products , include improved adoption , reduced visit abandonment ,
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