Pharmacist-Driven First-Dose Education Project to Improve HCACPS Survey Scores
by Alexis Mowry, PharmD, Karlee Dulak, PharmD
Objective: To implement a pharmacist-driven, first-dose education process to improve scores on medication-related Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey questions.
Methods: Pharmacists will identify new medications started in the hospital that patients are expected to continue after discharge. For each identified medication, pharmacists will provide a consultation emphasizing the purpose, directions for use, and main side effects of the medication, using a patient-friendly, medication-specific handout. The percentage of patients responding that staff always tell them what new medications are for; that staff always describe new medicine side effects in a way the patient can understand; and who strongly agree they understand the purpose of taking each of their medications at discharge will be trended monthly from implementation to conclusion. Scores after implementation will also be compared to scores from the year prior to implementation.
Results: By the end of the evaluation period, the HCAHPS Survey medication-related scores were higher than scores from the year prior to implementation for the percentage of patients responding that staff always tell them what new medications are for (54.55% in April 2021, versus 94.74% in April 2022); the percentage of patients reporting that staff always describe medicine side effects in a way the patient can understand (36.36% versus 63.16%); and the percentage of patients who strongly agree they understood the purpose for taking each of their medications at discharge (50% versus 76.19%).
Conclusions: A pharmacist-driven first-dose education process for medications patients are expected to continue after hospital discharge increased medication-related HCAHPS survey scores.
Keywords: Pharmacists, Pandemics, COVID-19, Students, Pharmacy, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
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2023 March/April Table of Contents
Objective: To implement a pharmacist-driven, first-dose education process to improve scores on medication-related Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) Survey questions.
Methods: Pharmacists will identify new medications started in the hospital that patients are expected to continue after discharge. For each identified medication, pharmacists will provide a consultation emphasizing the purpose, directions for use, and main side effects of the medication, using a patient-friendly, medication-specific handout. The percentage of patients responding that staff always tell them what new medications are for; that staff always describe new medicine side effects in a way the patient can understand; and who strongly agree they understand the purpose of taking each of their medications at discharge will be trended monthly from implementation to conclusion. Scores after implementation will also be compared to scores from the year prior to implementation.
Results: By the end of the evaluation period, the HCAHPS Survey medication-related scores were higher than scores from the year prior to implementation for the percentage of patients responding that staff always tell them what new medications are for (54.55% in April 2021, versus 94.74% in April 2022); the percentage of patients reporting that staff always describe medicine side effects in a way the patient can understand (36.36% versus 63.16%); and the percentage of patients who strongly agree they understood the purpose for taking each of their medications at discharge (50% versus 76.19%).
Conclusions: A pharmacist-driven first-dose education process for medications patients are expected to continue after hospital discharge increased medication-related HCAHPS survey scores.
Keywords: Pharmacists, Pandemics, COVID-19, Students, Pharmacy, Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions
Download PDF
2023 March/April Table of Contents