Development of a Communication Strategy to Increase Interprofessional Collaboration in the Outpatient Setting.

Chelsea Renfro,Stephanie Foley,Tiffany Barber,Stefanie Ferreri

doi:10.3390/pharmacy6010004

Abstract

Managing patient health is a complex task, requiring the support of an interprofessional healthcare team. Collaboration between neighboring community pharmacies and primary care practices can be an alternate solution for team-based patient care. The purpose of this project was to design and implement a communication strategy for patients with diabetes and hypertension between a community pharmacy and physician practice. An interprofessional team for the practice settings was formed to develop a strategy for collaboration. After agreeing on the common goals and target patient population for the disease states, the team devised a way to communicate via electronic health record (EHR). The communication strategy allowed for more frequent follow-up with the patients which has the potential to result in better clinical outcomes. A communication strategy between a community pharmacy and a physician practice office can be achieved using EHR technology. The greatest outcome of this project was the formation of the collaborative team between the practice settings that continues to work together on additional patient-centered initiatives. Further research is warranted to allow for incorporation of patient perspectives in development of communication strategies.

Highlights

Managing patient health is a complex task, requiring the support of an interprofessional healthcare team
A number of successful interprofessional collaborations have been published showing an improvement in patient care and health outcomes [2,3], most are conducted in academic ambulatory practices [4,5,6,7] or in settings where pharmacists and prescribers are in the same building [3,8,9]
Adoption of shared electronic health record (EHR) use within community pharmacies is not common. It is unknown whether this communication is more efficient with minimal interruptions [11,12,13]. The purpose of this project was to design and implement a communication strategy utilizing an EHR as the method of communication for shared patients with diabetes and hypertension between a community pharmacy and family medicine practice

Summary

Introduction

Managing patient health is a complex task, requiring the support of an interprofessional healthcare team. A number of successful interprofessional collaborations have been published showing an improvement in patient care and health outcomes [2,3], most are conducted in academic ambulatory practices [4,5,6,7] or in settings where pharmacists and prescribers are in the same building [3,8,9]. It may not be feasible for all practices to employ a full-time pharmacist in primary care. Collaboration with neighboring community pharmacies can be an alternate solution for team-based patient care [10]

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Conclusion