A Novel Screening Method to Prioritise Cardiovascular Patients Receiving a Pharmaceutical Care Intervention and the Effects on Patients’ Difficulties with Managing Their Drug Treatment

Viktoria Jungreithmayr,1 Janina A Bittmann,1 Viktoria S Wurmbach,1 Miriam Degen,1– 3 Theresa Dierkes,1 Sofia Obersteiner,1 Bastian Bruns,4,5 Stephanie Estel,4 Till Johannes Bugaj,4,* Hanna M Seidling1,* 1Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg / Heidelberg University Hospital, Internal Medicine IX - Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Cooperation Unit Clinical Pharmacy, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany; 2Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Research, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, 69120, Germany; 3Faculty of Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, 69115, Germany; 4Department of General Internal Medicine and Psychosomatics, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany; 5Department of Cardiology, Angiology and Pneumology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hanna M Seidling, Heidelberg University, Medical Faculty Heidelberg / Heidelberg University Hospital, Internal Medicine IX - Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Cooperation Unit Clinical Pharmacy, Im Neuenheimer Feld 410, Heidelberg, 69120, Germany, Tel +49 0 6221 56 38736, Fax +49 0 6221 56 4642, Email [email protected]: Hospitalisation is usually accompanied by changes in patients’ drug regimen followed by increased information need. To identify inpatients most suitable for pharmaceutical care interventions addressing these information needs, different prioritisation strategies exist. Here, we present a novel screening method taking particularly patient-reported needs into account. We aimed to test (i) whether the screening method is able to identify patients who benefit most from an intervention, and (ii) whether the intervention can actually reduce patients’ difficulties with managing their drug treatment.Patients and Methods: This study comprised of an admission screening, a pharmaceutical care intervention during the inpatient stay, and a follow-up phone call after discharge. During screening, patients answered questionnaires regarding e. g., their beliefs about medicine, adherence, and complexity of drug treatment. According to predefined criteria, patients were selected for the intervention. During intervention, patients received counselling and information leaflets according to their needs. After the inpatient visit, all screened patients were contacted for a follow-up call. During intervention and follow-up, patients were asked applicable key questions on factors potentially increasing complexity of drug treatment to identify difficulties with managing their drug treatment.Results: Among 128 screened patients, 105 were deemed suitable for the intervention. Patients receiving the intervention showed less difficulties with managing their drug treatment after discharge (mean difficulties during intervention = 1.3 vs mean difficulties during follow-up = 0.9, p = 0.040). However, at follow-up, the number of patients’ difficulties did not differ between patients suitable or unsuitable for the intervention and between suitable patients receiving or not receiving the intervention (p = 0.434).Conclusion: The novel screening method identified many patients with high information needs, but its effectiveness for prioritisation is limited. While the intervention reduced patients’ difficulties with managing drug treatment over time, no significant differences were observed between intervention groups.Keywords: screening method, pharmaceutical care intervention, tertiary care, difficulties with managing drug treatment