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Abstract Details
Impact of a Nurse Care Coordinator Supporting a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner in Further Managing HCV-Infected Patients
Gastroenterol Nurs. 2021 Jan 12. doi: 10.1097/SGA.0000000000000578. Online ahead of print.
Anita Yang1, Debbie Zachary, Jane Giang
Author information
1Anita Yang, BS, is PharmD Candidate, University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill. Debbie Zachary, BSN, RN, is Nurse Care Coordinator, University of North Carolina Health Care System Department of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill. Jane Giang, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, CPP, University of North Carolina Health Care System Department of Pharmacy, Chapel Hill.
Abstract
Patients undergoing chronic hepatitis C treatment require monitoring to ensure that treatment is both safe and effective. However, many of these patients are lost to follow-up. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of implementing a Nurse Care Coordinator's role in a pharmacy-based collaborative team to enhance the care of hepatitis C-infected patients. This was a 6-month retrospective chart review from July 2018 to January 2019, where 116 patients receiving hepatitis C treatment were referred to the Nurse Care Coordinator for further management. The Nurse Care Coordinator provided more than a 5-fold increase in contact method by telephone call. Of the 116 referred hepatitis C-infected patients, 44.8% (n = 52) of patients were referred due to a missed post-treatment Week 12 follow-up appointment to assess for cure. The Nurse Care Coordinator successfully rescheduled 96.2% (50/52) of follow-up appointments to assess for cure; 90% (45/50) of those patients adhered to scheduled appointment; and 97.8% (44/45) of patients had undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA, indicating cure. The primary success rate of the intended Nurse Care Coordinator arrangement was 97.4% (n = 113), where 89.4% (101/113) of patients successfully adhered to the intervention. This study demonstrates the positive impact the Nurse Care Coordinator had in successfully re-engaging previously lost to follow-up patients back into clinic.