Media Usage for Feedback Communication in an Outpatient Prescribing Setting

Abstract

Incentives have been encouraging more healthcare providers to implement electronic prescribing systems in their facilities. The change in media used to communicate the outpatient prescription impacts the use of media for additional pharmacy-patient and pharmacy-provider communications. Media (for the purpose of this report) are divided by mediated/unmediated technologies and synchronous/asynchronous communication processes. Forty-three pharmacists were surveyed on which media they use to communicate any clarifications or concerns with patients and providers based on the way the prescription is received (paper prescription, phone call, fax, electronic prescription). All of the pharmacists responded that they use the phone for clarification with providing physicians, no matter how the prescription was received. Fax and electronic were also listed as possible communication media. Pharmacists primarily used face-toface for paper prescriptions and varied between face-to-face and phone for phone, fax, and electronic prescriptions for interactions with patients. As electronic prescribing systems are implemented in healthcare facilities, a feedback communication path should be established that results in the most efficient and effective sharing of information to reduce the risk associate with miscommunication and to decrease the rework of pharmacists and providers.