Implementation of telehealth for first-dose device teaching within a health-system specialty pharmacy.

Abstract

To demonstrate how the integration of a pharmacist-led, telehealth-based first-dose device teaching (FDDT) workflow helped to improve the efficiency of the work system, expand access, and maintain the high quality of care. The telehealth program was designed utilizing existing specialty pharmacy infrastructure and a partnership with a dermatology clinic. The program includes patients receiving a self-injectable specialty medication (SISM) who require an FDDT and fill with our health system's specialty pharmacy. Patients complete a virtual FDDT with a specialty pharmacist following an initial pharmacist consult and medication shipment. Patient experience and program feedback were captured via a standardized 5-point Likert telephone survey. A total of 30 patients completed the FDDT program. Surveys following the FDDT visit completed by 19 patients showed that patients had high satisfaction with the quality and convenience of the telehealth visit (4.53 and 4.79, respectively). Overall care and education received from the pharmacist was also rated highly (5.00). Notable feedback captured in free responses emphasized the helpfulness of the pharmacist and the convenience of the visit. Areas to improve focused on technology difficulties. As SISMs continue to grow in utilization, telehealth services should be considered as part of the clinic workflow. Specialty pharmacists delivered high-quality and convenient care to patients through this patient education program. Expansion of this program into additional clinics may help improve specialty care access and increase the availability of nursing staff for additional clinical needs.