Assessment of the impact of telehealth intervention in patients with bone and joint infection

Abstract

Objectives: Patients with bone and joint infections (BJI) are involved in a complex care pathway and require prolonged antimicrobial treatment. Some studies have suggested that a pharmacist-led telehealth intervention (TI) could help to ensure better follow-up of chronic diseases. To our knowledge, there are no data on the effects of pharmacist-led TI on patients with BJI. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a TI on patients treated for BJIs at three weeks after hospital discharge.

Patients and methods: Patients encountered during hospitalization and receiving standardized care including TI were included in the study. All adverse events (AE) reported by patients during TI were evaluated. Impact of pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) provided by a clinical pharmacist following TI was evaluated by CLEO© (CLinical, Economic and Organizational) scale. Patient satisfaction concerning TI was assessed by an anonymous questionnaire following medical consultation at the end of antimicrobial treatment.

Results: Over a 4-month period, 36 patients received TI. Fifty-two AEs were identified in 21 patients (58%). Two patients were hospitalized due to an AE. Clinical pharmacists provided 34 pharmaceutical interventions (PIs) for 23 patients (64%). According to CLEO scale, 11 PIs had a major clinical impact (32%), 6 PIs (18%) had a favorable impact on the direct cost of treatment and 27 PIs (79%) had positive organizational impact. Concerning TI process, patients were satisfied or very satisfied, with an average score of 9.6/10.

Conclusion: TI led to a high number of pharmaceutical interventions (PIs), with a meaningful clinical, organizational, and economic impact. Patients were also highly satisfied with this intervention.

Keywords: Adverse events; Antibiotics; Bone and joint infection; Patient satisfaction; Telehealth intervention.