TY - JOUR
T1 - Equitable and timely access to outpatient COVID-19 treatment
T2 - a review of centralized workflow implementation at an integrated health system
AU - Donnowitz, Kathrine
AU - Rush, Jordan
AU - Webb, Megan
AU - Hogan, Samantha
AU - Mann, Jami
AU - Reichard, Jeffrey
AU - Ginn, Mary Beth
AU - O'Bryan, Laurie
AU - Lyons, Mark
AU - Barzin, Amir H.
PY - 2023/9/1
Y1 - 2023/9/1
N2 - Background: During the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care entities had to adapt to rapidly changing research and best practices in disease prevention and treatment to maintain the delivery of high-quality patient care. Prompt interdisciplinary efforts amongst physician, pharmacist, nursing, and information technology teammates are needed to develop robust centralized strategies to allocate and administer COVID-19 therapies in the ambulatory setting. Objective: The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate the impact of a system-wide, centralized workflow on referral times and treatment outcomes for COVID-19 infected patients in the ambulatory setting. Methods: Upon release of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19, a centralized approach for patient treatment referrals to the University of North Carolina Health Virtual Practice team was developed due to the limited supply. Collaboration with infectious disease colleagues played a pivotal role in the rapid application of therapeutic guidance and creation of treatment prioritization levels. Results: From November 2020 through February 2022, the centralized workflow team facilitated the administration of over 17,000 COVID-19 treatment infusions. The median time from treatment referral to infusion was 2 days from a positive COVID-19 test result. From January through February 2022, 514 oral COVID-19 treatment courses were dispensed from the health system's outpatient pharmacies. The median time from referral to treatment was 1 day from diagnosis. Conclusion: Given the ongoing strain and demand of COVID-19 on the health care system, a centralized, multidisciplinary team of experts allowed for efficient delivery of COVID-19 therapies through one provider touchpoint. The collaboration between outpatient pharmacies, infusion sites, and Virtual Practice culminated in a sustainable, centralized treatment approach that supported widespread reach, and equitable dose distribution, to the most vulnerable patient populations.
AB - Background: During the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, health care entities had to adapt to rapidly changing research and best practices in disease prevention and treatment to maintain the delivery of high-quality patient care. Prompt interdisciplinary efforts amongst physician, pharmacist, nursing, and information technology teammates are needed to develop robust centralized strategies to allocate and administer COVID-19 therapies in the ambulatory setting. Objective: The objective of this analysis is to demonstrate the impact of a system-wide, centralized workflow on referral times and treatment outcomes for COVID-19 infected patients in the ambulatory setting. Methods: Upon release of monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of COVID-19, a centralized approach for patient treatment referrals to the University of North Carolina Health Virtual Practice team was developed due to the limited supply. Collaboration with infectious disease colleagues played a pivotal role in the rapid application of therapeutic guidance and creation of treatment prioritization levels. Results: From November 2020 through February 2022, the centralized workflow team facilitated the administration of over 17,000 COVID-19 treatment infusions. The median time from treatment referral to infusion was 2 days from a positive COVID-19 test result. From January through February 2022, 514 oral COVID-19 treatment courses were dispensed from the health system's outpatient pharmacies. The median time from referral to treatment was 1 day from diagnosis. Conclusion: Given the ongoing strain and demand of COVID-19 on the health care system, a centralized, multidisciplinary team of experts allowed for efficient delivery of COVID-19 therapies through one provider touchpoint. The collaboration between outpatient pharmacies, infusion sites, and Virtual Practice culminated in a sustainable, centralized treatment approach that supported widespread reach, and equitable dose distribution, to the most vulnerable patient populations.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85168452331&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://ezproxy.uws.edu.au/login?url=https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2023.06.018
U2 - 10.1016/j.japh.2023.06.018
DO - 10.1016/j.japh.2023.06.018
M3 - Article
C2 - 37392811
AN - SCOPUS:85168452331
SN - 1544-3191
VL - 63
SP - 1623
EP - 1627
JO - Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
JF - Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
IS - 5
ER -
