Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study
Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is an important health problem and guidelines recommend multidisciplinary management. The pharmacist is an important member of the multidisciplinary heart failure team, both in the hospital and community setting. This study aims to explore the perceptions of co...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-06-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09661-8 |
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| author | Willem Raat Pauline Truyts Justine Gaillaert Marie Van de Putte Lorenz Van der Linden Stefan Janssens Bert Vaes Miek Smeets |
| author_facet | Willem Raat Pauline Truyts Justine Gaillaert Marie Van de Putte Lorenz Van der Linden Stefan Janssens Bert Vaes Miek Smeets |
| author_sort | Willem Raat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Heart failure (HF) is an important health problem and guidelines recommend multidisciplinary management. The pharmacist is an important member of the multidisciplinary heart failure team, both in the hospital and community setting. This study aims to explore the perceptions of community pharmacists on their role in HF care. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 13 Belgian community pharmacists between September 2020 and December 2020. We used the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL) method as guidance for data analysis until data saturation was reached. We structured interview content into a thematic matrix. Results We identified two major themes: heart failure management and multidisciplinary management. Pharmacists feel responsible for the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of heart failure, citing easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. Diagnostic uncertainty, lack of knowledge and time, disease complexity and difficulties in communication with patients and informal care providers are barriers to optimal management. General practitioners are the most important partners in multidisciplinary community heart failure management, although pharmacists perceive a lack of appreciation and cooperation and deplore communication difficulties. They feel intrinsically motivated to provide extended pharmaceutical care in HF but cite the lack of financial viability and information sharing structures as important barriers. Conclusion The importance of pharmacist involvement in multidisciplinary heart failure teams is undisputed by Belgian pharmacists, who cite easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. They point out several barriers impeding evidence-based pharmacist care for outpatients with heart failure: diagnostic uncertainty and disease complexity, lack of multidisciplinary information technology and insufficient resources. We recommend that future policy should focus on improved medical data exchanges between primary and secondary care electronic health records as well as the reinforcement of interprofessional relationships between locally affiliated pharmacists and general practitioners. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:52:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f45bba5aefc546c096e2b59567869a6a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:52:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-f45bba5aefc546c096e2b59567869a6a2023-06-18T11:10:15ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-06-0123111110.1186/s12913-023-09661-8Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative studyWillem Raat0Pauline Truyts1Justine Gaillaert2Marie Van de Putte3Lorenz Van der Linden4Stefan Janssens5Bert Vaes6Miek Smeets7Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU LeuvenDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU LeuvenDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU LeuvenZorgzaam LeuvenDepartment of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, KU LeuvenDepartment of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, KU LeuvenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, KU LeuvenDepartment of Public Health and Primary Care, KU LeuvenAbstract Background Heart failure (HF) is an important health problem and guidelines recommend multidisciplinary management. The pharmacist is an important member of the multidisciplinary heart failure team, both in the hospital and community setting. This study aims to explore the perceptions of community pharmacists on their role in HF care. Methods We conducted a qualitative study based on face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 13 Belgian community pharmacists between September 2020 and December 2020. We used the Qualitative Analysis Guide of Leuven (QUAGOL) method as guidance for data analysis until data saturation was reached. We structured interview content into a thematic matrix. Results We identified two major themes: heart failure management and multidisciplinary management. Pharmacists feel responsible for the pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of heart failure, citing easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. Diagnostic uncertainty, lack of knowledge and time, disease complexity and difficulties in communication with patients and informal care providers are barriers to optimal management. General practitioners are the most important partners in multidisciplinary community heart failure management, although pharmacists perceive a lack of appreciation and cooperation and deplore communication difficulties. They feel intrinsically motivated to provide extended pharmaceutical care in HF but cite the lack of financial viability and information sharing structures as important barriers. Conclusion The importance of pharmacist involvement in multidisciplinary heart failure teams is undisputed by Belgian pharmacists, who cite easy access and pharmacological expertise as important assets. They point out several barriers impeding evidence-based pharmacist care for outpatients with heart failure: diagnostic uncertainty and disease complexity, lack of multidisciplinary information technology and insufficient resources. We recommend that future policy should focus on improved medical data exchanges between primary and secondary care electronic health records as well as the reinforcement of interprofessional relationships between locally affiliated pharmacists and general practitioners.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09661-8Heart failurePharmacologistMultidisciplinary careQualitative design |
| spellingShingle | Willem Raat Pauline Truyts Justine Gaillaert Marie Van de Putte Lorenz Van der Linden Stefan Janssens Bert Vaes Miek Smeets Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study BMC Health Services Research Heart failure Pharmacologist Multidisciplinary care Qualitative design |
| title | Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full | Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_short | Community pharmacists’ perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care: an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_sort | community pharmacists perceptions on multidisciplinary heart failure care an exploratory qualitative study |
| topic | Heart failure Pharmacologist Multidisciplinary care Qualitative design |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09661-8 |
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