Chronic Disease Management Via Telepharmacy From a Pharmacist Perspective: A Qualitative Approach
Date of Award
Fall 2023
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Healthcare Administration (DHA)
Committee Chair
Alyncia Bowen
Committee Member
Neelima Savardekar
Committee Member
Eliot Jackson
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative study was to collect information regarding pharmacists' roles in relation to telepharmacy and chronic disease management (CDM). The two research questions being examined were “How can pharmacists be used in the advancement of chronic disease management?” and “What improvements need to be made to telepharmacy implementation and operations for pharmacists to increase their use?” The literature review was conducted on historical overview, CDM overview, social determinants of health (SDOH), disparities, readmissions to hospitals, adverse effects of drugs, best practices, and global implications of telepharmacy. A group of eleven licensed pharmacists from New York was gathered. The participants were interviewed on CDM, readmissions, adverse drug events, best practices, SDOH, and health disparities. The recordings of the interviews were transcribed and coded for each open-ended question, resulting in 136 different codes. According to the comprehensive review of interview transcripts, there is still an urgent need for communication between healthcare providers and patients, pharmacist training for telepharmacy services and SDOH, and healthcare technology support. CDM can be advanced by pharmacists by understanding patient barriers, SDOHs, health disparities, and pill burdens, as well as incorporating a multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Pharmacists are required to promote open communication, overcome technological obstacles, receive assistance from stakeholders in telepharmacy training, and incorporate new mobile applications to enhance the implementation and operation of telepharmacy to provide interventions in telepharmacy. The following recommendations have been made according to the results of this study. Further research into the integration of telepharmacy services into the management of chronic diseases and pharmacists' role in addressing health disparities and SDOH is needed. The researcher has also made recommendations to enhance chronic disease treatment using mobile applications and to improve pharmacy compensation policies according to the pharmacist's involvement with telepharmacy.
Recommended Citation
Hussain, Azhar, "Chronic Disease Management Via Telepharmacy From a Pharmacist Perspective: A Qualitative Approach" (2023). All Doctoral Student Dissertations. 128.
https://fuse.franklin.edu/docpub/128