Improving efficiency through workflow optimization in a pharmacist-run diabetes clinic.

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Clinical Pharmacy Practice
• Diabetes Management

Background:

• Integrated healthcare systems face challenges in optimizing clinical pharmacist productivity.
• Effective diabetes management requires efficient patient outreach and follow-up.
• Nonclinical support staff can potentially alleviate administrative burdens on clinical teams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of nonclinical support staff on clinical pharmacist productivity.
• To evaluate the effect of this intervention on diabetes control outcomes.
• To analyze changes in patient contact rates and appointment completion.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study of 6,709 patients in internal medicine clinics.
• Comparison of pharmacist productivity and patient glycemic control before and after hiring nonclinical support staff.
• Analysis of completed telephone encounters, HbA1c levels, and call completion rates.

Main Results:

• Completed telephone encounters increased from 61% to 77% (P < 0.001).
• Proportion of patients with HbA1c <8% improved from 31% to 42% (P < 0.001).
• Scheduled calls had a higher completion rate (74%) compared to unscheduled calls (66%).

Conclusions:

• Nonclinical support staff enhance clinical pharmacist efficiency and patient interaction volume.
• The intervention demonstrated a modest but significant improvement in glycemic control.
• Hiring support staff increases the likelihood of successfully reaching patients via telephone.