Feedback System Improves Heart Failure Care by VA Pharmacists
TL;DR
Pharmacists who received real-time feedback on heart failure patients increased patient interactions and adjusted more medications, providing a competitive advantage in patient care.
Primary care pharmacists in the Veterans Health Administration System received education, feedback, and targeted information to improve heart failure medication management, resulting in increased patient care.
This intervention improves heart failure management, leading to better patient outcomes and addressing the major public health burden of heart failure, making tomorrow better than today.
Preliminary findings show an increase in frequency of heart failure management and medication adjustments, providing valuable insights into improving patient care and medication therapy.
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A new study presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2024 reveals that pharmacists in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who received feedback on their heart failure medication management showed significant improvements in patient care. The research, conducted between January and May 2024, involved 120 primary care pharmacists responsible for over 7,000 heart failure patients.
The study, known as the PHARM-HF A&F Study, divided pharmacists into three groups: a control group receiving only educational materials, a group receiving educational materials plus monthly audit and feedback emails, and a third group receiving additional patient-specific information. Results showed that pharmacists who received audit and feedback increased their heart failure management visits by 1.2 per month and medication adjustments by 0.2 visits per month compared to the education-only group.
Lead study author Dr. Alexander Tarlochan Singh Sandhu, a cardiologist at Stanford University, emphasized the importance of this intervention, stating, 'This shows one approach to increasing the use of pharmacists to improve heart failure medication use, and it may also be applicable to other chronic diseases.' The findings are particularly significant given that heart failure affects millions of Americans, with projections indicating over 8 million adults will have the condition by 2035.
The study's practical approach and scalability make it a promising intervention for improving chronic disease management across healthcare systems. By empowering pharmacists to identify patients who would benefit from guideline-recommended treatments and independently prescribe therapies, the VHA model demonstrates a potential pathway for enhancing patient care.
While the addition of patient-specific information did not lead to further improvements, the overall results highlight the effectiveness of feedback systems in healthcare. The research team plans to conduct further studies to evaluate the long-term impact on medication rates and adapt the intervention for implementation in more VHA locations.
This study's findings could have far-reaching implications for healthcare systems seeking to improve chronic disease management. By leveraging the expertise of pharmacists and providing them with timely feedback, healthcare providers may be able to significantly enhance the quality of care for patients with heart failure and potentially other chronic conditions.
Curated from NewMediaWire
