Pharmacy-intern-led transition of care services impact on health-related outcomes at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital
Abstract
Transition of care (TOC) service reflects a systemic approach to the quality and safety of the healthcare system. Globally, several studies have evaluated the impact of TOC programs. Incorporating pharmacists in such programs improved the patients’ outcomes post-TOC services. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effect of pharmacy-intern-led TOC services on patients’ health-related outcomes at King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAAUH) in Saudi Arabia. This study is a retrospective secondary data analysis, extracted from August 2020 to July 2022, that compares patients who received TOC services and those who only received standard care services. Eligible patients were those of higher risk due to diseases of high readmission rates and on multiple medications. Of 457 included patients, 247 received pharmacy-intern-led TOC services. Compared to patients not receiving pharmacy-intern-led TOC services, E.D. visits within 30 days were lower in the intervention group (44.8% vs. 55%, p = 0.030). Similarly, the 30-day hospitalization rates were significantly lower following pharmacy-intern-led TOC services (37% vs. 62.9%, p = 0.004). Moreover, there was a significant difference between patients who received pharmacy-intern-led TOC and those who did not in the mean length of stay in the hospital. This study was the first to evaluate the impact of pharmacy-intern-led TOC services on healthcare utilization at KAAUH in Saudi Arabia. Pharmacy-intern-led TOC services were associated with lower risk in most measured outcomes. The study findings demonstrated the significance of implementing pharmacy-intern-led TOC programs and how such programs can optimize patients' therapy plans.
Keywords: Transition of care, TOC, Medication reconciliation, Healthcare utilization, Pharmacy intern, Saudi Arabia
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