Telepharmacy: A New Paradigm for Our Profession

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tin Le ◽  
Michael Toscani ◽  
John Colaizzi

Telepharmacy is a rapidly growing area of communication within pharmaceutical care delivery, especially in rural areas. The purpose of this literature review is to determine how telepharmacy is currently being practiced within community and ambulatory pharmacy settings, its effectiveness, and how it is being regulated across the United States. A literature review was performed using PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, and the Google search engine. State-specific rules were researched using board of pharmacy and legislative online resources. Telepharmacy has been successfully implemented within community pharmacy settings through the creation of remote dispensing sites. The increasing focus of state regulations on telepharmacy services and practices shows the growth and acceptance of this modality of pharmacy practice. There is wide variation among state regulations pertaining to the setup and operation of telepharmacies. Trends in telemedicine show that telepharmaceutical care is likely to continue to expand as it allows for a better allocation of resources and access to more patients. However, research needs to be conducted to specifically analyze the value and place for telepharmacy services.

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Alberto Coustasse ◽  
Morgan Ruley ◽  
Tonnie C. Mike ◽  
Briana M. Washington ◽  
Anna Robinson

Rural areas have experienced a higher than average shortage of healthcare professionals. Numerous challenges have limited access to mental health services. Some of these barriers have included transportation, number of providers, poverty, and lack of insurance. Recently, the utilization of telepsychiatry has increased in rural areas. The purpose of this review was to identify and coalesce the benefits of telepsychiatry for adults living in rural communities in the United States to determine if telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care. The methodology for this study was a literature review that followed a systematic approach. References and sources were written in English and were taken from studies in the United States between 2004 and 2018 to keep this review current. Fifty-nine references were selected from five databases. It was found that several studies supported that telepsychiatry has improved access and quality of care available in rural environments. At the same time, telepsychiatry in mental healthcare has not been utilized as it should in rural adult populations due to lack of access, an overall shortage of providers, and poor distribution of psychiatrists. There are numerous benefits to implementing telepsychiatry in rural areas. While there are still barriers that prevent widespread utilization, telepsychiatry can improve mental health outcomes by linking rural patients to high-quality mental healthcare services that follow evidence-based care and best practices. Telepsychiatry utilization in rural areas in the United States has demonstrated to have a significant ability to transform mental health care delivery and clinician productivity. As technology continues to advance access, telepsychiatry will also advance, making access more readily available.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 101 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 739-745
Author(s):  
Richard J. D. Pan ◽  
Jonathan A. Finkelstein

Managed care is becoming the dominant form of health care delivery and financing in the United States, necessitating changes in pediatric education. This transition is redefining the questions of what needs to be taught, who should be teaching it, where it should be taught, and how to pay for this education. We performed a literature review and examined reports from policy and professional groups to seek answers to these questions. We have identified curricular, administrative, and financial challenges to pediatric education in managed care. Although road maps for innovation have been described, there is a deficiency of research and information in key areas of pediatric education in the managed care environment.


1980 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takarinda Samuel Agere

[ ABSTRACT: This paper examines how an African country, Zambia, reproduces patterns of health care delivery system of the West characterized by U.S. The replication of pattern of health discriminates against the poor, and rural in habitants. First, a brief theoretical analysis of underdevelopment is provided. Secondly, the structure of the present U.S health care delivery system is provided high lighting t'he role of the academic-medical component. The analysis shows how health care resources are distributed among socio- economic, racial groups and between urban and rural areas. 'The major part of the paper examines health care delivery system in Zambia, outlining those areas that are replicated. The paper emphasizes that this should serve as lessons for Africa. This replication is made possible by the indigenous African middle class through which Western values are transmitted. This class (elites) is in control of state machinery and makes decisions on the distribution, and consumption of health resources. In conclusion, I recommend a radical economic and political transforma tion of these societies if resources have to be distributed equitably.]


2020 ◽  
pp. 152483802091559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Maguire-Jack ◽  
Brooke Jespersen ◽  
Jill E. Korbin ◽  
James C. Spilsbury

Topic of Review: The current study sought to review the state of existing knowledge on rural maltreatment. Method of Review: We conducted a scoping literature review to answer two research questions: (1) Is maltreatment higher in rural areas compared to urban areas? and 2) Are there unique correlates of maltreatment in rural areas? Number of Research Studies Meeting the Criteria for Review: This review included studies that compared child maltreatment in rural and urban areas in the United States (9) and predictors of maltreatment in rural areas (7). Criteria for Inclusion: Studies that compared child maltreatment in rural and urban areas in the United States were included. For our second research question, related to understanding maltreatment in rural areas, we included those studies that exclusively examined rural areas, when maltreatment was the outcome variable. How Research Studies Were Identified: Studies were reviewed from relevant databases ( Annual Reviews, PsychINFO, PubMed, Web of Science) between 1975 and 2019. Major Findings: Findings were mixed on whether rates of maltreatment were higher or lower in rural areas. While five studies reported higher rates of maltreatment in rural areas, four reported higher rates in urban areas. Overall, child maltreatment rates tended to be higher in urban areas among people of color and higher in rural areas among White people. One study found that community economic factors were not related to maltreatment in a rural area, in stark contrast to robust findings from urban areas.


2010 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-272 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maryann Z. Skrabal ◽  
Rhonda M. Jones ◽  
Ryan W. Walters ◽  
Ruth E. Nemire ◽  
Denise A. Soltis ◽  
...  

Objectives: To survey volunteer pharmacy preceptors regarding experiential education and determine whether differences in responses relate to such factors as geographic region, practice setting, and population density. Methods: An online survey was sent to 4396 volunteer experiential preceptors. The survey consisted of 41 questions asking the preceptor to comment on the experiential education environment. Experiential education administrators from 9 schools of pharmacy administered the survey to their volunteer preceptors in all regions (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West) of the United States, in various pharmacy practice settings, and areas of differing population densities. Results: A total of 1163 (26.5%) preceptors responded. Regionally, preceptors in the West disagreed more than those in the Midwest and the South that they had enough time to spend with students to provide a quality experience and also required compensation less often than their counterparts in the Northeast and South. Concerning practice settings, hospital preceptors accepted students from more schools, had greater increases in requests, turned away more students, and spent less time with the students compared to preceptors in other settings. Population density differences reflected that preceptors at urban sites took and turned away more students than those at rural sites. Preceptors from rural areas spent more time with students and felt they were spending enough time with their students to provide quality experiences when compared to other preceptors. Conclusions: The results of this national volunteer preceptor survey may assist pharmacy school leaders in understanding how location, practice type, and population density affect experiential education, preceptor time-quality issues, and site compensation so they can take necessary actions to improve quality of student practice experiences.


Pharmacy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany Hoffmann-Eubanks ◽  
Anne Marie Kondic ◽  
Brian J. Isetts

The Community Pharmacy Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of community pharmacy practice and patient care delivery through grant funding and resource sharing. Since 2002, CPF has awarded 191 grants and over $9,200,000 (US dollars) in research and project grants. The purpose of this manuscript is to highlight the evolution of pharmacy practice and pharmacy education in the United States through the presentation of exemplary cases of Community Pharmacy Foundation funding that is aligned with new care delivery models and approaches to the advancement of patient-centered pharmacy care. Pharmacy began in colonial America as the United States of America was just beginning to form with apothecary shops and druggists. Over time, the pharmacy industry would be revolutionized as America became urbanized, and drug products became commercially produced. The role of the pharmacist and their education evolved as direct patient care became a clear expectation of the general public. By the 1990s, the pharmacy profession had carved out a new path that focused on pharmacist-led, patient-centered pharmaceutical care and medication therapy management services. The Community Pharmacy Foundation grant funding has aligned with this evolution since its founding in 2000, and multiple exemplary grants are presented as support. As the role of pharmacists again transitions from a fee-for-service model to a value-based model, the Community Pharmacy Foundation continues to provide grant funding for research and projects that support the advancement of community pharmacy practice, education, and expanded training of pharmacists.


Author(s):  
Calvin T. Schaffer ◽  
Preeti Nakrani ◽  
Paul A. Pirraglia

Objective: Mental illness continues to rise in the United States, burdening a healthcare system set to dive further into a shortage of mental health practitioners. The effects of this are already being felt in many rural areas, which are all too frequently understaffed to address the mental health concerns of their populations. To further compound this growing crisis, COVID-19 has led to a reduction in access to in-person care. Furthermore, COVID-19 has led to reduced access to in-person care. As a result, Telehealth has become more essential. Knowledge of the strategies and barriers to implement a successful Telehealth program is necessary to deliver a sustainable, accessible, and quality care. Design: In this review, we analyze published research on the efficacy of Telehealth for mental health, discuss how these services have been implemented, and explore how to address barriers to quality care delivery via Telehealth. Results: Telehealth, when the appropriate resources and supports are considered, is effective in a wide range of patient populations and care locations. Multiple modalities, including via video, apps, and telephone were shown to be efficacious. Interventions have been shown to increase the accessibility to care without compromising quality of care. Conclusions: Telehealth constitutes a well-researched, efficacious tool to address the issues in access to care. Telemental health programs should address the barriers to implementation, including training, access to technology, reimbursement and regulations, and adequate program oversight. Telehealth interventions should be strongly considered in areas facing shortages of mental health practitioners and long wait times for patients with mental health disorders, to reduce the burden of mental illness on healthcare.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 73-78
Author(s):  
David W. Rule ◽  
Lisa N. Kelchner

Telepractice technology allows greater access to speech-language pathology services around the world. These technologies extend beyond evaluation and treatment and are shown to be used effectively in clinical supervision including graduate students and clinical fellows. In fact, a clinical fellow from the United States completed the entire supervised clinical fellowship (CF) year internationally at a rural East African hospital, meeting all requirements for state and national certification by employing telesupervision technology. Thus, telesupervision has the potential to be successfully implemented to address a range of needs including supervisory shortages, health disparities worldwide, and access to services in rural areas where speech-language pathology services are not readily available. The telesupervision experience, potential advantages, implications, and possible limitations are discussed. A brief guide for clinical fellows pursuing telesupervision is also provided.


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