Residents and Fellows Research in Progress
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
08:30 AM–10:00 AM
Abstract
Introduction:
Pharmacists are in a unique position to assist in the management of transitions of care (TOC) across the hospital to home continuum. Previous data has shown that pharmacist involvement in TOC is linked to improved patient outcomes. For these reasons, a community hospital embedded within an academic medical center implemented a pharmacist-led TOC program aimed at addressing medication therapy problems and improving medication adherence. This initiative targets patients based on factors such as high readmission, disease states, high-risk medications, and medication access barriers. The aim of this study is to provide insights into the program's impact on healthcare utilization by evaluating reductions in hospitalization and emergency department readmissions.
Research Question or Hypothesis: Does a pharmacist-led TOC program at a community hospital embedded within an academic medical center improve targeted outcomes in patients?
Study Design: Retrospective, matched cohort study
Methods:
This study will identify patients enrolled in the TOC program between January 2022 through November 2024. The primary outcome is the number of patients with a 30-day readmission to the hospital after index visit within the study group versus the comparator group. Secondary outcomes will include hospitalizations within 90 days post-discharge, emergency department visits within 30- and 90-days post-discharge, outpatient follow-up within 30 days of hospital discharge, pharmacist interventions, and estimated cost savings. A comparator group not enrolled in the TOC program will be matched to the study group using the Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) open-source software program. Patients will be matched based on factors such as age, sex, comorbid conditions, and hospital length of stay. Descriptive statistics will be used for baseline characteristics and the Wilcoxon rank-sum or student t-test will be used for continuous data to assess differences in study outcomes.
Results: Pending
Conclusion: Pending
Presenting Author
Cameron Koontz PharmDAtrium Health Wake Forest Baptist
Authors
Rebecca Bookstaver PharmD, BCCCP
Wake Forest Baptist Health
Caitlin Guest PharmD, BCPS
Zach Krauss PharmD, MBA
Cedarville University
Emily Moose PharmD
Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center