TY - JOUR
T1 - An Academic-Community Collaboration to Deliver Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Services to Patients Living in Rural Counties of a Southwestern State in the United States
AU - Axon, David Rhys
AU - Johnson, Melissa
AU - Abeln, Brittany
AU - Forbes, Stephanie
AU - Anderson, Elizabeth J.
AU - Taylor, Ann M.
AU - Aseret-Manygoats, Teresa
AU - Warholak, Terri
AU - Hall-Lipsy, Elizabeth A
N1 - Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This publication was supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number, DP004793, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. This work also was supported, in part, by SinfoniaRx.
Funding Information:
The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: David Rhys Axon, Stephanie Forbes, Elizabeth Anderson, Ann M. Taylor, & Terri Warholak received funding from SinfoniaRx. Melissa Johnson, Brittany Abeln, Ann M. Taylor, Terri Warholak, & Elizabeth Hall-Lipsy received funding from the Arizona Department of Health Services. Teresa Aseret-Manygoats is an employee of the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This publication was supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number, DP004793, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services. This work also was supported, in part, by SinfoniaRx.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - Background: Patients living in rural communities often experience pronounced health disparities, have a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and poorer access to care compared to urban areas. To address these unmet healthcare service needs, an established, academic-based MTM provider created a novel, collaborative program to provide comprehensive, telephonic services to patients living in rural Arizona counties. Objective: This study assessed the program effectiveness and described differences in health process and outcome measures (e.g., clinical outcomes, gaps in care for prescribed medications, medication-related problems) between individuals residing in different rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) groups (urban, micropolitan, and small town) in rural Arizona counties. Methods: Subjects eligible for inclusion were 18 years or older with diabetes and/or hypertension, living in rural Arizona counties. Data were collected on: demographic characteristics, medical conditions, clinical values, gaps in care, medication-related problems (MRPs), and health promotion guidance. Subjects were analyzed using 3 intra-county RUCA levels (i.e., urban, micropolitan, and small town). Results: A total of 384 patients were included from: urban (36.7%), micropolitan (19.3%) and small town (44.0%) areas. Positive trends were observed for clinical values, gaps in care, and MRPs between initial and follow-up consultations. Urban dwellers had significantly lower average SBP values at follow-up than those from small towns (p < 0.05). A total of 192 MRPs were identified; 75.0% were resolved immediately or referred to providers and 16.7% were accepted by prescribers. Conclusion: This academic-community partnership highlights the benefits of innovative collaborative programs, such as this, for individuals living in underserved, rural areas.
AB - Background: Patients living in rural communities often experience pronounced health disparities, have a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and poorer access to care compared to urban areas. To address these unmet healthcare service needs, an established, academic-based MTM provider created a novel, collaborative program to provide comprehensive, telephonic services to patients living in rural Arizona counties. Objective: This study assessed the program effectiveness and described differences in health process and outcome measures (e.g., clinical outcomes, gaps in care for prescribed medications, medication-related problems) between individuals residing in different rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) groups (urban, micropolitan, and small town) in rural Arizona counties. Methods: Subjects eligible for inclusion were 18 years or older with diabetes and/or hypertension, living in rural Arizona counties. Data were collected on: demographic characteristics, medical conditions, clinical values, gaps in care, medication-related problems (MRPs), and health promotion guidance. Subjects were analyzed using 3 intra-county RUCA levels (i.e., urban, micropolitan, and small town). Results: A total of 384 patients were included from: urban (36.7%), micropolitan (19.3%) and small town (44.0%) areas. Positive trends were observed for clinical values, gaps in care, and MRPs between initial and follow-up consultations. Urban dwellers had significantly lower average SBP values at follow-up than those from small towns (p < 0.05). A total of 192 MRPs were identified; 75.0% were resolved immediately or referred to providers and 16.7% were accepted by prescribers. Conclusion: This academic-community partnership highlights the benefits of innovative collaborative programs, such as this, for individuals living in underserved, rural areas.
KW - collaboration
KW - diabetes
KW - hypertension
KW - medication therapy management
KW - rural health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85103225860&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1177/08971900211000219
DO - 10.1177/08971900211000219
M3 - Article
C2 - 33759609
AN - SCOPUS:85103225860
SN - 0897-1900
VL - 35
SP - 691
EP - 700
JO - Journal of Pharmacy Practice
JF - Journal of Pharmacy Practice
IS - 5
ER -