Methods and Barriers to Communication Between Pharmacists During Transitions of Care

Abstract

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.

Integrating clinical pharmacists into transitions of care: A qualitative study of barriers and facilitators among federally qualified health centers

“…The findings from this work also highlight barriers that may be more global to CMM and ToC. For example, several other studies examining ToC have found similar barriers, such as identifying high‐risk patients, staffing shortages, and information management and transfer between organizations 21–25 . In fact, in one study examining implementation of transitional care services across 22 healthcare organizations, the authors found that a major barrier was inadequate medication review, reconciliation, and education during ToC and several sites reported suboptimal integration of pharmacy services further limiting medication management 25 .…”

“…For example, several other studies examining ToC have found similar barriers, such as identifying highrisk patients, staffing shortages, and information management and transfer between organizations. [21][22][23][24][25] In fact, in one study examining implementation of transitional care services across 22 healthcare organizations, the authors found that a major barrier was inadequate medication review, reconciliation, and education during ToC and several sites reported suboptimal integration of pharmacy services further limiting medication management. 25 Clearly, there is a need for CMM services during ToC, 26 and the participants in this project spoke of the value CMM brings to patient care and optimization.…”

Collaboration between pharmacists in community pharmacy and ambulatory clinic settings: Current state and future directions

“…Table 1 summarizes evidence showing methods for improved collaboration that are sustainable and financially viable 12,15,30,31,38–45 . It is important to acknowledge that the growth and development of pharmacist‐to‐pharmacist collaborative practices in these early stages contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes.…”

“…37 Table 1 summarizes evidence showing methods for improved collaboration that are sustainable and financially viable. 12,15,30,31,[38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] It is important to acknowledge that the growth and development of pharmacist-to-pharmacist collaborative practices in these early stages contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes. Clinicians and teams of collaborators can look to guidance documents/tools for proposed quality metrics to guide future design for alignment around key outcomes.…”