Pharmacy, Health Sciences & Exercise Science

Involvement of Pharmacists with a Community Paramedicine Heart Failure Pilot Program at a Safety Net Hospital

Document Type

Oral Presentation

Location

Indianapolis, IN

Subject Area

Pharmacy, Health Sciences & Exercise Science

Start Date

11-4-2014 8:30 AM

End Date

11-4-2014 10:00 AM

Description

Purpose: In the United States, roughly 5.7 million people have been diagnosed with heart failure, costing the nation approximately $34.4 billion each year in services, medications, and lost productivity. Programs in development focus on disease state education, medication adherence, and lifestyle changes. The purpose of this study is to characterize the pharmacist's role and impact on patient care in a community paramedicine pilot program involving home visits by Eskenazi Health (formerly Wishard Health Services) clinical pharmacists in conjunction with Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS).

Methods: The pilot program was open to all patients at Wishard Health Services who had visited the Emergency Department (ED) or been admitted for either a primary or secondary diagnosis of chronic heart failure (CHF). Patients had to agree to participate in the program, speak English, and have visited the ED or been admitted in the previous 30 days or at least three times in the last 12 months. Exclusion criteria: patients who were receiving hospice or home health services, have cognitive impairment, or had an initial diagnosis of CHF made at their most recent ED visit or admission. The first home visit by a community paramedic occurred within 72 hours of discharge. A second visit occurred within one week with the community paramedic and clinical pharmacist. During the home visit, pharmacists completed medication reconciliation, evaluated adherence, identified drug-related problems, and provided medication and disease state education. All interventions were documented using a standardized progress note template. Follow-up recommendations were provided to the patients' primary care providers as appropriate.

Results/Conclusions: Pilot cases and interventions will be discussed during the presentation. The future direction of the community paramedicine program will be reviewed.

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Apr 11th, 8:30 AM Apr 11th, 10:00 AM

Involvement of Pharmacists with a Community Paramedicine Heart Failure Pilot Program at a Safety Net Hospital

Indianapolis, IN

Purpose: In the United States, roughly 5.7 million people have been diagnosed with heart failure, costing the nation approximately $34.4 billion each year in services, medications, and lost productivity. Programs in development focus on disease state education, medication adherence, and lifestyle changes. The purpose of this study is to characterize the pharmacist's role and impact on patient care in a community paramedicine pilot program involving home visits by Eskenazi Health (formerly Wishard Health Services) clinical pharmacists in conjunction with Indianapolis Emergency Medical Services (IEMS).

Methods: The pilot program was open to all patients at Wishard Health Services who had visited the Emergency Department (ED) or been admitted for either a primary or secondary diagnosis of chronic heart failure (CHF). Patients had to agree to participate in the program, speak English, and have visited the ED or been admitted in the previous 30 days or at least three times in the last 12 months. Exclusion criteria: patients who were receiving hospice or home health services, have cognitive impairment, or had an initial diagnosis of CHF made at their most recent ED visit or admission. The first home visit by a community paramedic occurred within 72 hours of discharge. A second visit occurred within one week with the community paramedic and clinical pharmacist. During the home visit, pharmacists completed medication reconciliation, evaluated adherence, identified drug-related problems, and provided medication and disease state education. All interventions were documented using a standardized progress note template. Follow-up recommendations were provided to the patients' primary care providers as appropriate.

Results/Conclusions: Pilot cases and interventions will be discussed during the presentation. The future direction of the community paramedicine program will be reviewed.