Community-based anticipatory prescribing during COVID-19: a qualitative study
Author Information
Author(s): Antunes Bárbara Costa Pereira, Bowers Ben, Barclay Stephen, Gallagher Joshua, Conci Riccardo, Polak Louisa
Primary Institution: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
Hypothesis
How did healthcare professionals experience delivering anticipatory prescribing during the first wave of the UK COVID-19 pandemic?
Conclusion
Accomplishing anticipatory prescribing during a pandemic was challenging, requiring healthcare professionals to make rapid changes to their systems and practices.
Supporting Evidence
- Healthcare professionals reported that the anticipated challenges of delivering anticipatory prescribing during the pandemic were less severe than expected.
- Changes such as increased collaboration and the adoption of electronic systems were viewed positively by participants.
- Remote consultations were controversial, with differing opinions on their effectiveness among healthcare professionals.
Takeaway
This study looked at how doctors and nurses managed to give medicine to patients at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they found some new ways to do it better.
Methodology
Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 16 healthcare professionals involved in community palliative care.
Potential Biases
Self-selection and small sample size may introduce bias.
Limitations
The study is a time-specific snapshot conducted during a pandemic, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Participants included pharmacists, palliative care consultants, palliative care nurses, general practitioners, and community nurses from various regions in the UK.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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