Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are frequently prescribed for 30 days but taken infinitely. PPIs belong to the most often inappropriate medicines (PIMs). Correct intake of medicines (named adherence) can be supported by digital devices such as smartphone applications. The goal of this interventional study is to test the feasibility of an app-based treatment support provided by community pharmacists in patients prescribed a short-term PPI (30 days). The intervention consists in tracking medication intake, symptom course and well-being over the treatment duration of 30 days with the mednet app on patients' personal smartphones.
This is an exploratory study in a primary care setting with community pharmacists recruiting patients who are newly prescribed a PPI for a short-term treatment (30 days). There is no control group and no randomization. After informed consent and installing the app on their personal smartphones, patients will answer three questions from the app once daily. The questions address medication intake (yes/no), symptom course (better, worse, identical, no symptoms) and well-being (satisfactory/needs improvement). Worsening of symptoms will trigger an alarm (via email) at the pharmacy. The pharmacist will call the patients and use information from adherence and well-being to consolidate a supporting counseling. Feasibility and a frequency estimation of the interventions will be the focus of the study in view of a larger implementation study with community pharmacies. Further implementation outcomes will be assessed through interviews and surveys (satisfaction, interprofessional work).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
60
The intervention includes a smartphone app that patients will download on their smartphones. Medication intake, symptom course and well-being will be tracked over treatment duration. If symptoms worsen, the pharmacist will contact the patients and counsel them based on their adherence and well-being data. Patients who still have symptoms after the 30 days of treatment will receive a final counseling by the pharmacy, and if necessary will be forwarded to the treating physician.
Goldene Engel Apotheke
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, Switzerland
TopPharm Apotheke am Spalebärg
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, Switzerland
Patients with PPI treatment over 30 days
Number of patients who started and stopped a PPI after 30 days
Time frame: 30 days (treatment duration)
Treatment extensions
Number of PPI treatment extensions including reasons and number of additional days
Time frame: 30 days (treatment duration)
Physicians' and pharmacists' satisfaction with the service
Physicians' and pharmacists satisfaction with the service including adherence report assessed through semi-structured interviews
Time frame: 2 weeks after study completion
Patients' satisfaction with the service
Patients' satisfaction with the service including the app assessed through semi-structured interviews
Time frame: 2 weeks after the end of treatment
Reliable diagnosis after PPI treatment
Number of reliable diagnosis after short-term PPI treatment including treatment extensions
Time frame: After 30 days (treatment duration)
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