TY - JOUR

T1 - How patient-centredness takes place in pharmacy encounters

T2 - a critical common-sense interpretation of video-recorded meetings

AU - Kaae, Susanne

AU - Rossing, Charlotte

AU - Reventlov Husted, Gitte

AU - Fosgerau, Christina Fogtmann

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - BackgroundCounselling patients in community pharmacies is important to obtain the best usage of medicines. However, it does not seem to be sufficiently patient-centred. To become more patient-centred, communication guidelines could be used but the guidelines need to be supplemented with up-to-date research that specifies how patient-centredness takes place or could take place in the pharmacy encounters.AimTo use a qualitative methodology to investigate how patient-centeredness unfolds in Danish pharmacy encounters by analysing video-recorded encounters.MethodA maximal variation sampling strategy was applied, including staff from 2 pharmacies. A preunderstanding of ‘patient-centredness’ guided the analyses with focus on the development of relationships, understanding the patient’s situation, and coordination of care. Data were then subjected to a ‘critical common-sense’ interpretation. To validate identified themes, ‘structural corroboration’, ‘researcher triangulation’, and a ‘meaning saturation process’ were carried out.ResultsNineteen encounters were included. Overall, the staff took responsibility for ensuring patients’ optimal medicine use and focused on biomedical aspects of the treatment. Important messages conveyed by staff appeared to be that there is one correct way of taking medicines and that taking the medicine is an uncomplicated process. Patients were rarely invited to provide their perspective.ConclusionStaff showed commitment to ensuring patients’ optimal medicine use, but during this process, they predominantly relied on a reductionist approach to medicine. This must be addressed as it hampers patient-centredness. Suggestions for how to become more patient-centred are given.

AB - BackgroundCounselling patients in community pharmacies is important to obtain the best usage of medicines. However, it does not seem to be sufficiently patient-centred. To become more patient-centred, communication guidelines could be used but the guidelines need to be supplemented with up-to-date research that specifies how patient-centredness takes place or could take place in the pharmacy encounters.AimTo use a qualitative methodology to investigate how patient-centeredness unfolds in Danish pharmacy encounters by analysing video-recorded encounters.MethodA maximal variation sampling strategy was applied, including staff from 2 pharmacies. A preunderstanding of ‘patient-centredness’ guided the analyses with focus on the development of relationships, understanding the patient’s situation, and coordination of care. Data were then subjected to a ‘critical common-sense’ interpretation. To validate identified themes, ‘structural corroboration’, ‘researcher triangulation’, and a ‘meaning saturation process’ were carried out.ResultsNineteen encounters were included. Overall, the staff took responsibility for ensuring patients’ optimal medicine use and focused on biomedical aspects of the treatment. Important messages conveyed by staff appeared to be that there is one correct way of taking medicines and that taking the medicine is an uncomplicated process. Patients were rarely invited to provide their perspective.ConclusionStaff showed commitment to ensuring patients’ optimal medicine use, but during this process, they predominantly relied on a reductionist approach to medicine. This must be addressed as it hampers patient-centredness. Suggestions for how to become more patient-centred are given.

U2 - 10.1007/s11096-022-01508-2

DO - 10.1007/s11096-022-01508-2

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36371584

VL - 45

SP - 146

EP - 153

JO - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy

JF - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy

SN - 2210-7703

ER -