Patients' Habits and the Role of Pharmacists and Telemedicine as Elements of a Modern Health Care System during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Systematic literature review of adopting eHealth in pharmaceutical care during COVID-19 pandemic: recommendations for strengthening pharmacy services

OBJECTIVES

The study aimed to determine how eHealth was adopted in pharmaceutical care (PC), the outcome reported and the contextual factors.

DESIGN

Systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

DATA SOURCES

Literature was searched in six databases including PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, Science Direct and China National Knowledge Infrastructure.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Studies which reported the usage experiences of eHealth in any aspects of PC by pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, written in English or Chinese, and published in peer-reviewed journals between December 2019 and March 2022 were included. Opinion articles, conference abstracts, correspondence, letters and editorials were excluded.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

The literature search was completed on 15 April 2022. Two researchers independently conducted the literature search and extracted the data into an Excel table informed by the logic model with the key components of goals, input, activities, output and contextual factors.

RESULTS

Forty-three studies were included in this review. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital pharmacists, community pharmacists and specialist pharmacists in 17 countries continued to educate, consult, monitor and manage the patients and the general public via phone calls, videoconferences, mobile applications, social media, websites and/or enhanced interoperability of electronic medical records. Assuring the continuity of pharmacy care, reduced need for hospital visits, and improved work accuracy and efficiency were the benefits of eHealth mostly reported. Contextual factors affecting the adoption of eHealth were multifaceted, prompting supporting actions at the levels of government, hospital/pharmacy, pharmacists and patients.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed the wide adoption of eHealth in PC during the pandemic and the emerging evidence for its importance. Proper adoption of eHealth will help reshape the mode of pharmacy services to ensure continuity, quality and efficiency of care amid the challenges of the pandemic.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022299812.

Telemedicine in the National Immunization Program (Brazil): A promising tool

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic abruptly changed the dynamics of basic health care, with the consequent need for adjustments in essential services. The objective of this study was to evaluate the acceptance and impact of telemedicine at a Reference Center for Special Immunobiologicals (CRIE).

Methods

Patients aged 18 years or older who had a medical referral to CRIE and agreed to have a telemedicine consultation were included. After the medical appointments, participants answered a satisfaction survey.

Results

From April 2021 to February 2022, 702 telemedicine consultation were conducted. Over 3,380 vaccines were prescribed via telemedicine. Of all the participants who answered the satisfaction questionnaire, 99.8% stated that they would recommend the service to other people.

Conclusions

Telemedicine proved to be promising tool for healthcare at CRIE and had good acceptance by users, potentially improving access and extending the reach of the National Immunization Program.

Factors That Influence the Use of Dietary Supplements among the Students of Wroclaw Medical University in Poland during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background and aim: The use of dietary supplements (DS) and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs is increasing every year. The COVID-19 pandemic might additionally influence the use of such preparations. The study aimed to investigate factors influencing the use of dietary supplements (DS), including stress-relieving supplements, by the students. Methods: In the cross-sectional study, 624 students of the Wroclaw Medical University in Poland, from the second to the last year of studies, completed the anonymous questionnaire, consisting of 22 items, about the use of DS/OTC drugs during the academic year 2020/2021. Obtained data were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test, the U-Mann Whitney test, the Kruskal–Wallis test with the post-hoc analysis, and with logistic regression. Results: About 70% of students declared the use of any DS, 33% used DS for stress, anxiety, depression, or sleeping problems, and 59% used other DS. The most important factors influencing the decision to take any kind of DS were Division (p = 0.0001, odds ratio [OR]: 0.35, and confidence interval [CI]: 0.21–0.59), a self-estimated level of stress (p = 0.014, OR: 1.13, CI: 1.03–1.25), and self-estimated level of knowledge about DS (p = 0.0000, OR: 1.31, CI: 1.19–1.36). In the case of students taking DS for stress, anxiety, depression, or sleeping problems, the level of stress and the declared knowledge had the greatest impact on the decision for such a use of DS (p = 0.0001, OD: 1.24, CI: 1.11–1.39 and p = 0.0000, OD: 1.35, CI: 1.22–1.5, respectively). The COVID-19 pandemic did not change the pattern of DS/OTC drug usage in about 33% of students. Those who started taking DS during the pandemic accounted for 19% of all students. Conclusions: The use of DS is common among Wroclaw Medical University students with some differences between subgroups of respondents. Additionally, despite declared good knowledge about DS, most students declare the need to learn more about them.

Is Telemedicine in Primary Care a Good Option for Polish Patients with Visual Impairments Outside of a Pandemic?

With the proliferation of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic, attention began to turn to the risk of health disparities associated with its use among people with disabilities. Therefore, the present study investigates the level of interest in using teleconsultations (TCs) in primary healthcare among people with visual impairments (PVIs) and identifies their motivations and needs. A total of 219 Polish PVIs were surveyed using a combination of closed and open questions. About 50% of the respondents expressed interest in using TCs. The factor most closely related to the willingness to use TCs was age. The predominant reason for using TCs was to obtain a prescription or referral, and the most highlighted need was the possibility to choose between a TC and an in-person visit. The blind and poor-sighted participants differed in some regards. Our study indicates that TCs, under some conditions, may be a beneficial option for PVIs, and provides some directions for its effective implementation.

VAD Patients' Perception of Potential Telemedicine Support

Technical possibilities for patient support must be user-friendly. This includes acceptance on the part of the patients, and safe function that must not lead to the user being overtaxed. In a study of Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) patients at the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery at the University Hospital RWTH Aachen, a questionnaire was used to investigate the current situation in dealing with the VAD system. This was followed by a query about ideas, wishes, and fears regarding the increased use of telemedical applications. An adapted Service User Technology Acceptability Questionnaire (SUTAQ) was used and the evaluation was carried out with the help of Office-based applications. As a result, it can be stated that the patients do not want to see personal contacts and care be completely replaced by telemedical remote support. If the application is stable and functioning, the majority is very much open to such support.