Evaluation of services provided in a gender health clinic.

BACKGROUND: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face discrimination and mistreatment in healthcare spaces, resulting in poor health. The Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) Gender Health Clinic was launched in September of 2022 to meet the healthcare needs of TGD patients. OBJECTIVE: Describe services provided in and patient satisfaction with an interdisciplinary Gender Health Clinic serving TGD patients. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: The Gender Health Clinic is a subspecialty clinic of the MAHEC Family Health Center in Asheville, North Carolina. The clinic offers interdisciplinary services to TGD patients, including primary care, gynecology, and medication management. PRACTICE INNOVATION: The interdisciplinary clinic team was assembled to create a safe environment for TGD patients to receive medical care. The pharmacy team facilitated provider training, consolidated clinical references, and provided comprehensive patient education on hormone therapy. EVALUATION METHODS: A quantitative description of services and patient demographic information was evaluated through a retrospective chart review of the first six months of the clinic. Patient satisfaction was evaluated through anonymous questionnaires. RESULTS: Forty-four patient encounters were evaluated for 23 unique patients. The mean age was 26.6 years, and 65.2% of patients were assigned female at birth. Gender identities were distributed across male (39.1%), female (34.8%), and non-conforming (26.1%). Nearly all patients (97.7%) received documented general education from any provider. Most patients (79.6%) received prescriptions for hormone therapy. More than one-third (38.7%) of patients had a documented pharmacist interaction. Twenty-one questionnaires were completed out of 23 unique patients. All respondents rated their overall experience as "Excellent" or "Very Good." Highly rated positive clinical interactions included courteous clinical staff (4.9) and having needs met (4.8). Ease of scheduling an appointment (4.3) was rated lowest among all questionnaire items. CONCLUSION: The positive patient experiences and level of services provided suggest a promising start to MAHEC's Gender Health Clinic.

Implementation of Transgender/Gender Nonbinary Care in a Family Medicine Teaching Practice.

PURPOSE: Numerous studies have shown that transgender or gender nonbinary (TGNB) individuals encounter significantly more health care barriers, including overall lack of access to gender-affirming care providers. This study describes 2 assessments of transgender care services at a large family medicine teaching practice. METHODS: Staff and providers were invited to attend an optional, practice-wide, hourlong free training session on gender-affirming care offered on 3 different dates in 2019. A structured protocol was used to collect observational data from which key takeaways from the training sessions were developed. Separately, a retrospective chart review of patients with a gender dysphoria diagnosis was completed. Charts were reviewed for adherence to regional and international organization recommendations for comprehensive transgender care. RESULTS: Three main takeaways from the training sessions included lack of knowledge or familiarity with gender terminology and expression, fear of offending patients, and employee hesitation to change behaviors when interacting with patients. On chart review, the most common interventions identified were need to schedule a follow-up visit (61.5%), need for health maintenance screenings (osteoporosis screening, 50%; Papanicolaou smear, 56.3%; mammogram, 66.7%), need for mental health screening (41.5%), need for laboratory monitoring of testosterone therapy (20%), and corrected gender markers/names listed in the appropriate place in the patient chart (16.9%). CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted hesitation to provide and lack of familiarity with transgender care among practice staff. Although some aspects of comprehensive transgender care are well implemented, maintaining follow-up, completing health maintenance and mental health screenings, and appropriate laboratory monitoring are areas for improvement.

Access to clinical pharmacy services in a pharmacist-physician covisit model.

BACKGROUND: A pharmacist-physician covisit model in which patients see both a pharmacist and physician on the same day was established in a primary care practice. Previously, patients were seen in a referrals-based model in which providers referred patients for clinical pharmacy services on a different day. OBJECTIVE: To assess access to clinical pharmacy services in a pharmacist-physician covisit model compared to a referrals-based model. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was completed for patients who were seen by physicians on pre-specified half-days of clinic before and after implementation of the covisit model. Covisit model half-days between June 29, 2018 and September 30, 2018 and matched half-days from 2015 were included. Charts were reviewed to determine if patients scheduled to see the physician would benefit from clinical pharmacy services, including being seen for chronic disease management, eligible for a Medicare Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), prescribed medications that required counseling, had an adverse medication-related event, or had adherence concerns. Those eligible for clinical pharmacy services were further reviewed to determine if the patient interacted with a pharmacist within three months of their visit. RESULTS: Prior to implementation of the covisit model, 123 patient visits were completed on the pre-specified half-days. Of these, 61 patients (49.6%) were deemed eligible for clinical pharmacy services. In the covisit model, 149 patients were seen by the physician, of which 69 patients (46%) were eligible for clinical pharmacy services. More patients in the covisit cohort went on to interact with a pharmacist (56 patients, 81% vs. 10 patients, 16%, adjusted OR = 32.98, 95% CI [8.89-122.39]). The most common reasons patients were identified for clinical pharmacy services were eligibility for AWV, hypertension, and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: A pharmacist-physician covisit model significantly increased accessibility to clinical pharmacy services compared to a referrals-based model.

Evolution of Interdisciplinary Transition of Care Services in a Primary Care Organization.

Transitions of care create complex management challenges for providers and leave patients vulnerable to medication errors and hospital readmissions. This article examines the evolution of an interdisciplinary team of pharmacists and nurse care managers and their impact on safe and effective transitions from the acute care settings back into primary care. This article explores successes and challenges of this primary-care-based clinic in managing patients safely through often-complex situations, and explores future directions for improving care processes and outcomes.

Reflections and interdisciplinary perceptions of pharmacy learners on an international medical brigade.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc. and Shoulder to Shoulder have partnered on medical brigades in rural Honduras since 2005, with pharmacy learner participation beginning in 2007. This study assesses the value of this experience to pharmacy learners and their contribution to a brigade's success. EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING: Pharmacy learners and faculty, family medicine residents and faculty physicians, student volunteers, and other health care professionals participate in two-week medical brigades each February and August. Since 2011, brigades have been based out of Camasca, a small town in rural, southwest Honduras. February brigade teams conduct home visits, while August brigades consist primarily of mobile clinics. In both situations, the pharmacy team prepares, dispenses, and counsels on medications. Participants from three trips were surveyed. FINDINGS: All pharmacy learners agreed the brigade contributed to improvements in their skills and competence as pharmacists. Brigade members agreed that pharmacy learners made valuable contributions, particularly in counseling patients, maintaining an organized workflow, and assisting in activities outside of pharmacy services. All respondents agreed that pharmacy learners were necessary to a trip's success. SUMMARY: These international medical brigades were impactful educational experiences for pharmacy learners. Brigade participants viewed pharmacy learners as essential team members.

Evaluation of a pharmacist-physician covisit model in a family medicine practice.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the financial implications, efficiency, and patient access to care with the use of a pharmacist-physician covisit model in a primary care practice. SETTING: A rural satellite practice of a large, teaching, multidisciplinary, family medicine organization. PRACTICE DESCRIPTION: Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) is a large, multisite, family medicine teaching practice. Our site is a rural practice of MAHEC that serves western North Carolina. PRACTICE INNOVATION: Pharmacist-physician covisit model. EVALUATION: Fourteen half-days of the covisit model from June 1, 2016, to January 31, 2017, were evaluated. Change in estimated clinic revenue was assessed for the physician only, separate pharmacist and physician visits, and the covisit model. Number and types of visits billed before and after implementation of the covisits were used to evaluate efficiency, and number of available appointments was used to evaluate patient access to care. RESULTS: Compared with physician billing alone, covisits generated an additional $4924.41 in 14 half-days or $158,291.04 over 1 year. Compared with separate visits, the covisit model increased estimated clinic revenue by $2757.89 over the 14 half-days and $88,646.47 over 1 year. During the pilot period of the covisit model, the pharmacist and physician combined billed a total of 189 visits, compared with 164 visits on matched days with separate visits. With covisits, more high-complexity codes and initial Medicare Annual Wellness Visits were billed. The physician was able to see an additional 1.3 patients per half-day in the covisit model compared with separate visits, and there was an average of 3.2 open physician appointments per half-day with covisits compared with 1.4 with separate visits. CONCLUSION: Compared with both the physician-only and the separate-visit models, the covisit model is projected to substantially increase clinic revenue. In this model, more patients can be seen, higher-complexity visits are billed, and there are more available appointments.

Essential factors demonstrating readiness of primary care practices for clinical pharmacy services.

PURPOSE: The characteristics of primary care practices that are necessary to establish and maintain ambulatory care clinical pharmacy services were identified. METHODS: A focus group of 15 ambulatory care pharmacists in Western North Carolina developed a survey of 26 practice readiness statements pertaining to the development of clinical pharmacy services in primary care. National ambulatory care pharmacy experts were then surveyed using a modified Delphi model for consensus building to determine which items were essential. Four rounds of surveys were completed. After each round, statements were accepted as consensus, modified, or removed from the survey based on responses. Statements were deemed to have reached consensus when 80% of respondents were in agreement. RESULTS: A total of 6 statements reached agreement after 4 rounds of survey: (1) full integration into the team, (2) access to the electronic health record (EHR), (3) a physician or administrative champion, (4) appropriate equipment provided by the clinic, (5) a private room to see patients, and (6) a practice that is open to team-based care. CONCLUSION: An expert panel of ambulatory care pharmacists identified 6 factors that should be considered prior to establishing ambulatory care services in primary care practices. Of these, foundational elements included full integration into the care team, presence of a physician or administrative champion, and a practice that is ready for team-based care. Operational elements included access to the practice's EHR, equipment provided by the practice, and private space to see patients.