Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: Getting the Capillary Refill Test Under One's Thumb
06:50

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy: Getting the Capillary Refill Test Under One's Thumb

Published on: December 2, 2017

9.7K

Reducing after-hours prescription refill requests

Britton Zuccarelli1, Keith A Coffman1

  • 1Division of Child Neurology, Children's Mercy, Kansas City, MO.

Neurology. Clinical Practice
|February 15, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Physician quality of life improved by reducing after-hours prescription refill requests by 39%. This quality improvement intervention offers a sustainable solution for managing patient needs outside of business hours.

Area of Science:

  • Quality Improvement in Healthcare
  • Pediatric Neurology Practice Management

Background:

  • Addressing parent requests for prescription refills outside of regular business hours presents convenience and logistical challenges.
  • Physician call fatigue and exhaustion are significant concerns associated with after-hours responsibilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To decrease the number of prescription refill requests received by physicians outside of regular business hours.
  • To mitigate the impact of call fatigue and exhaustion on physicians handling after-hours calls.

Main Methods:

  • A quality improvement project was implemented in a Child Neurology Division at a tertiary children's hospital.
  • Intervention involved patient/family communication via mail and clinic signage, and a standardized script for contact center triage personnel.
  • Data on after-hours refill requests were collected over a 12-month period (April 2015-March 2016).

Main Results:

  • A statistically significant reduction in after-hours prescription refill requests was observed.
  • The average number of monthly after-hours refill requests decreased by 39%, from 21 to 11 (p = 0.0055).

Conclusions:

  • A simple intervention effectively reduced after-hours prescription refill requests.
  • The intervention shows potential for improving physician quality of life by decreasing workload.
  • Ongoing data collection is recommended to confirm the long-term sustainability of these positive effects.
Abstract

More Related Videos

From Cells to Cell-Free Protein Synthesis within 24 Hours Using Cell-Free Autoinduction Workflow06:08

From Cells to Cell-Free Protein Synthesis within 24 Hours Using Cell-Free Autoinduction Workflow

Published on: July 22, 2021

5.4K
Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology05:48

Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology

Published on: September 21, 2018

10.6K

Related Concept Videos

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs01:02

Prescription, Nonprescription and Orphan Drugs

Prescription drugs require a prescription from a medical practitioner and can only be obtained from a pharmacy. They have many applications, including treating pain, anxiety, and hypertension.
The misuse and addiction to prescription drugs is a growing problem that can affect people of all age groups, specifically teenagers. This can happen when prescription medications are used in ways not intended by the prescriber, such as taking someone else's prescription or using medication for...
1.3K
Holter Monitor: 24-Hour Monitoring01:23

Holter Monitor: 24-Hour Monitoring

Holter monitoring is a continuous electrocardiography (ECG) recording that tracks the heart's electrical activity over an extended period, generally 24 to 48 hours. This noninvasive diagnostic tool detects irregular heart rhythms that may not be captured during a standard ECG performed in a clinical setting.DeviceThe Holter monitor is a portable, small device connected to several electrodes on the patient's chest. These electrodes detect the heart's electrical signals and transmit them to the...
2.9K
Reducing Line Loss01:18

Reducing Line Loss

In a three-phase circuit, line loss is an indicator of energy dissipated as heat due to the resistance of transmission lines. To address this, incorporating transformers into the system—a step-up transformer at the source and a step-down transformer at the load—is a strategic solution. Two three-phase transformers are introduced to improve this.
With a step-up transformer at the source, the voltage is increased, thereby reducing the current in the transmission lines since power loss in...
396
Methods of reducing fever01:22

Methods of reducing fever

The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
1.4K
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss01:57

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.
28.3K
Role of Reduced Coenzymes NADH and FADH₂01:29

Role of Reduced Coenzymes NADH and FADH₂

The energy released from the breakdown of the chemical bonds within nutrients can be stored either through the reduction of electron carriers or in the bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In living systems, a small class of compounds functions as mobile electron carriers, molecules that bind to and shuttle high-energy electrons between compounds in pathways. The principal electron carriers that will be considered originate from the B vitamin group and are derivatives of nucleotides; they are...
17.2K