Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39436887›Full record

Trial reportPloS one2024

Randomized controlled trial parallel-group on optimizing community pharmacist's care for the elderly: The influence of WhatsApp-Email delivered clinical case scenarios.

Osama Mohamed Ibrahim, Nadia Al Mazrouei, A A Elnour, Rana Ibrahim, Derar H Abdel-Qader, Rowida Mohamed El Amin Ibrahim Hamid, Vineetha Menon, Ali Awadallah Saeed, Sami Fatehi Abdalla, Fahad T Alsulami and 2 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in PloS one, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

12 authors.

Osama Mohamed IbrahimDepartment of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, New Giza University, 6th of October City, Egypt.
Nadia Al MazroueiDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
A A ElnourProgram of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi Campus, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Rana IbrahimDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Derar H Abdel-QaderFaculty of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Petra, Amman, Jordan.
Rowida Mohamed El Amin Ibrahim HamidProgram of Pharmacotherapy, National University, Khartoum, Sudan.
Vineetha MenonDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, UAE.ORCID 0000-0002-4431-0196
Ali Awadallah SaeedDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Clinical and Industrial Pharmacy, Mycetoma Research Center, National University, Khartoum, Sudan.ORCID 0000-0003-3524-4825
Sami Fatehi AbdallaClinical Department, College of Medicine, University of Almaarefa, Diriyah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Fahad T AlsulamiClinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, Taif, Saudi Arabia.
Yousef Saeed AlqarniDepartment of Pharmacy Practice, College of Pharmacy, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Abuelnor MohammedDepartment of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Dar Al Uloom University, Riyadh, KSA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDrug-related problems (DRPs) significantly threaten the safety of the elderly. In order to improve pharmacists' ability to minimize these events, novel educational interventions that consider the current challenges in clinical practice are crucial.

objectivesThe primary objective is to assess the impact of two unique educational interventions on pharmacists' ability to identify DRPs.

methodA total of 127 community pharmacies in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) were recruited and randomly allocated to one of three arms using a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. While a series of clinical case scenarios (N = 24) related to elderly care were established and validated and sent to pharmacists in Active Group A over a 3-month period, lengthy research articles focused on medication safety in elderly were emailed to pharmacists in Active Group B. The control group pharmacist received no intervention. Then, pharmacists self-reported the number, categories, and severity of DRPs and pharmacist recommendations.

resultsThe incidence of DRPs identified by pharmacists was 10.8% in Active Group A, 2.0% in the Control Group (p = 0.011), and 3.8% in Active Group B (p = 0.014). A significant difference was observed in the proportion of DRP types between Active Group A and the Control Group. The most common DRPs in Active Group A were avoidable medication (14.7%) and untreated disease (9.2%). Pharmacists in Active Group A (37.2%) and Active Group B (32.3%) most commonly intervened by recommending the cessation of medication, while the most common intervention in the Control Group was recommending a decrease in dose (29.8%). The mean cost reduction per patient was highest in Active Group A (31.3 ±11.8 $), followed by Active Group B (20.8 ±8.6 $) and the Control Group (19.6 ±9.5 $). The mean time needed to resolve a DRP was shortest in Active Group A (7.3 ±3.5 minutes), followed by Active Group B (9.8 ±4.2 minutes) and the Control Group (9.8 ±5.7 minutes).

conclusionUsing WhatsApp to deliver clinical scenarios was effective in improving pharmacists' ability to identify and address DRPs in elderly patients, resulting in faster resolution and higher cost savings.

Indexed as

Community Pharmacy ServicesPharmacistsAdultAgedDrug-Related Side Effects and Adverse ReactionsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMobile ApplicationsUnited Arab Emirates

Identifiers

PMID39436887
PMCPMC11495638

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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.