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. 2022 Aug;44(4):985-992.
doi: 10.1007/s11096-022-01424-5. Epub 2022 Jun 17.

Consensus on the criteria for patient prioritization in hospital clinical pharmacy services: a Delphi study

Stephanie Ferreira Botelho  1 , Laís Lessa Neiva Pantuzza  1 , Claudyane Pinheiro Marinho  2 , Adriano Max Moreira Reis  3
Affiliations

Consensus on the criteria for patient prioritization in hospital clinical pharmacy services: a Delphi study

Stephanie Ferreira Botelho et al. Int J Clin Pharm. 2022 Aug.

Abstract

Background: Hospital pharmacists cannot provide extensive clinical pharmacy service to every inpatient because the demand for these services can exceed pharmacists' available work time. A way to solve this issue is hospital pharmacists to prioritize their clinical tasks. Tool prioritization could determine which patients would benefit from clinical pharmacists' input.

Aim: Establishing consensus on which criteria are relevant for prioritizing patients for clinical pharmacy services.

Method: The Delphi method was performed with criteria identified from a previously published Scoping Review. The panel of experts included hospital pharmacists, who evaluated the clinical significance of criteria in a three-round Delphi panel from July to December 2020. They determined the need for sub-criteria and evaluated their clinical significance. The experts also analyzed the criteria/sub-criteria as to their applicability in clinical practice. Consensus criteria were defined as 70% or more participants scoring the criteria as critical and 15% or fewer scoring the criteria as unimportant.

Results: A total of 19 criteria and 230 sub-criteria were included for evaluation by panel experts based on scoping review. Twenty-nine, 22, and 17 experts participated per round, respectively. After completing the three rounds, experts suggested the inclusion of one criterion, the exclusion of one criterion, and the inclusion of 29 sub-criteria. The final list consisted of 18 criteria and 177 sub-criteria, divided into 28 groups.

Conclusion: The result was comprehensive and coherent, potentially contributing to developing an instrument for prioritizing hospitalized patients for clinical pharmacy services.

Keywords: Delphi technique; Patient selection; Pharmacy Service, Hospital; Prioritization Tool; Prioritize patients.

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