From a healthcare provider’s perspective, specifically a pharmacist, there are gaps and scenarios where patient satisfaction surveys are underutilized. For example, in one participating practice, surveys are considered beneficial primarily from a business and operations perspective. However, they should also be considered valuable for patient outcomes, because continuous quality improvement is a vital aspect of any dispensing service and healthcare practice.
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From a pharmacy and dispensing outlook, it is often difficult to distinguish and visualize the impact of the pharmacist and staff. At some practices, physicians and nurses are strained for time and often are unable to spend as much time with a patient as they would prefer. This gap, which in the past has gone unmeasured, could potentially be covered by pharmacists and the auxiliary staff (ie, pharmacy technicians, nurses, patient financial advocates, etc),.
The NCODA Patient Satisfaction surveys help to validate the continuity of care to help transverse the different disciplines involved.There are also other opportunities where assessing patient satisfaction can be implemented at a practice, such as in an oral chemotherapy follow-up program, where a pharmacist can initiate education around a new oral chemotherapy drug with a patient. Patients who are part of an MID practice are also contacted at predetermine intervals, in addition to their office visits, to assess adherence and drug toxicity. Education and reinforcement are provided as needed.
Questions to always ask:
- Does the patient walk away feeling more comfortable with the information they need to begin taking the medication?
- Does the patient fully understand how to take their medication and why they are taking it?
- Does the patient feel that their adverse effects are under control?
- Does the patient feel they have the support they need if there is cognitive impairment or they face financial issues?
Anecdotal evidence suggests many patients are unaware of their diagnosis, why they are on a certain medication, or why their particular medication was discontinued, held, or switched. The MID is a service of the practice that can provide clarity and relieve fears about adverse effects.When a patient understands and believes they are on the right medication, they are much more satisfied, despite being aware of the possible outcomes. For example, in a scenario involving a personal exchange between a patient and pharmacist, a patient mentions that she does not trust the drug companies. The pharmacist then shows a study that found that adding a particular drug improved progression-free survival by 10.2 months.
Through data and a friendly and understanding healthcare provider, the patient is able to visualize the effectiveness and see that the practice had her best interests in mind.For drugs that are filled at SP, the MID practice’s responsibility as the patient’s healthcare provider is often mixed, given certain circumstances that disallow continued refills at the practice. Even in those situations, the burden may still be placed on the MID practice to ensure that the patient receives their medication on time. For certain restricted drugs in a practice, for example, prescriptions are not permitted to have refills. The physician must sign a new prescription every cycle and an authorization number must be obtained from the manufacturer.
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MID practices can also help patients who cannot afford their medications by connecting them with charitable foundations that provide financial assistance. Without oversight, numerous patients may not get their medication on time especially during long events, such as holidays. For example, what if a patient needed an early refill/vacation override prior to embarking on a month-long vacation? A vacation override would be needed for the manufacturer, their specialty pharmacy, and their insurance provider. Patient satisfaction is readily apparent when they receive assistance in such scenarios. Patients are extremely grateful and happy that MID practices can provide this kind of service.
