This study will evaluate the clinical effectiveness of, and patient satisfaction with, pre-travel consultations provided by a pharmacist with specialty training in travel medicine and the authorization to prescribe medications and administer vaccinations.
The study will be conducted at the Travel Health Network, a full-service travel medicine clinic located in St. Albert, Alberta. Care will be provided by a pharmacist with a specialized practice in travel medicine, authorization to prescribe vaccines and prescription drugs, and authorization to administer vaccines by injection. The study will be a prospective mixed-methods cohort study, describing patients receiving care from a pharmacist-managed travel medicine clinic and their travel health needs, and evaluating their adherence to recommended vaccines and oral therapies, satisfaction with the care provided, and their health status and management of health issues arising while travelling. Chart reviews will elicit descriptive quantitative data related to patients' travel medicine needs and adherence to recommended vaccinations and oral pharmacotherapy, followed by surveys containing open-ended qualitative questions to elicit overall patient satisfaction and the management of any health issues encountered during travel. Due to the nature of the study involving patients presenting to the clinic for a consultation, neither a control group nor blinding is possible. A convenience sample of 100 subjects will be enrolled.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
103
Subjects will receive a pre-travel consultation from a pharmacist with specialty training in travel medicine, and with authorization to prescribe medications and vaccines and administer injections
Travel Health Network
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
The proportion of recommended pre-travel vaccinations administered before departure according to chart review
From date of pre-travel consultation until the date of travel departure according to participant's planned itinerary, assessed up to September 2016.
Time frame: Up to 7 months.
The proportion of recommended pre-travel oral pharmacotherapies dispensed before departure by a community pharmacy according to electronic health record
From date of pre-travel consultation until the date of travel departure according to participant's planned itinerary, assessed up to September 2016.
Time frame: Up to 7 months.
Average satisfaction (along 1-5 scale) with care provided elicited through an online survey post-travel
Time frame: 1 week following return from travel according to participant's planned itinerary
Frequency of reason(s) for declining any recommended vaccines or medications according to participant self-report through an online survey
Response options: didn't feel I was at risk, cost, concern about vaccine ingredients or safety, other (specify)
Time frame: 1 week following return from travel according to participant's planned itinerary
Number of reports of any health issues over the course of travel according to participant self-report through an online survey
Response options: Traveller's diarrhea, Altitude sickness, Malaria, Fever (Dengue, Chikungunya), Respiratory illness, Other (specify)
Time frame: 1 week following return from travel according to participant's planned itinerary
Frequency of management strategies of any health issues over the course of travel according to participant self-report through an online survey
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Response options: Nothing - it went away on its own, Took a non-prescription medication I had purchased before departure, Took a non-prescription medication I purchased while travelling, Called or emailed the Travel Health Network for advice, Searched the internet for guidance on how to manage it, Saw a physician while travelling, Saw a physician upon returning home, Other (specify)
Time frame: 1 week following return from travel according to participant's planned itinerary