Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31604434›Full record

ArticleInternational journal for equity in health2019

Towards equity: a qualitative exploration of the implementation and impact of a digital educational intervention for pharmacy professionals in England.

Asam Latif, Justin Waring, Kristian Pollock, Josie Solomon, Nargis Gulzar, Shahida Choudhary, Claire Anderson

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In one paragraph

Article in International journal for equity in health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Asam LatifSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. Asam.Latif@nottingham.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0003-0730-7120
Justin WaringHealth Services Management Centre, School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Kristian PollockSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Josie SolomonSchool of Pharmacy, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.
Nargis GulzarLeicester School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Hawthorn Building, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK.
Shahida ChoudharySchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
Claire AndersonClaire Anderson, Division of Pharmacy Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

Funding

Department of Health ICA-CL-2015-01-008
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPatients belonging to marginalised (medically under-served) groups experience problems with medicines (i.e. non-adherence, side effects) and poorer health outcomes largely due to inequitable access to healthcare (arising from poor governance, cultural exclusion etc.). In order to promote service equity and outcomes for patients, the focus of this paper is to explore the implementation and impact of a new co-produced digital educational intervention on one National Health Service (NHS) funded community pharmacy medicines management service.

methodsSemi-structured interviews with a total of 32 participants. This included a purposive sample of 22 community pharmacy professionals, (16 pharmacists and 6 pharmacy support staff) all who offered the medicine management service. In order to obtain a fuller picture of the barriers to learning, five professionals who were unable to complete the learning were also included. Ten patients (from a marginalised group) who had received the service (as a result of the digital educational intervention) were also interviewed. Drawing on an interpretative analysis, Normalisation Process Theory (NPT) was used as a theoretical framework.

resultsThree themes are explored. The first is how the digital learning intervention was implemented and applied. Despite being well received, pharmacists found it challenging completing and cascading the learning due to organisational constraints (e.g. lack of time, workload). Using the four NPT constructs (coherence, cognitive participation, collective action and reflexive monitoring) the second theme exposes the impact of the learning and the organisational process of 'normalisation'. Professional reflective accounts revealed instances where inequitable access to health services were evident. Those completing the intervention felt more aware, capable and better equipped to engage with the needs of patients who were from a marginalised group. Operationally there was minimal structural change in service delivery constraining translation of learning to practice. The impact on patients, explored in our final theme, revealed that they experience significant disadvantage and problems with their medicines. The medication review was welcomed and the discussion with the pharmacist was helpful in addressing their medicine-related concerns.

conclusionsThe co-produced digital educational intervention increases pharmacy professionals' awareness and motivation to engage with marginalised groups. However structural barriers often hindered translation into practice. Patients reported significant health and medicine challenges that were going unnoticed. They welcomed the additional support the medication review offered. Policy makers and employers should better enable and facilitate ways for pharmacy professionals to better engage with marginalised groups. The impact of the educational intervention on patients' health and medicines management could be substantial if supported and promoted effectively.

Indexed as

AdultEducation, PharmacyEnglandFemaleHealth EquityHumansMaleMiddle AgedPharmacistsQualitative ResearchState MedicineCommunity pharmacyCo-productionDigital learningMedically under-served groupsMedicines use reviews (MURs)Normalisation process theory (NPT)

Identifiers

PMID31604434
PMCPMC6790050

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.