title: Effect of a care transition intervention by pharmacists: an RCT.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pharmacists may improve medication-related outcomes during transitions of care. The aim of the Iowa Continuity of Care Study was to determine if a pharmacist case manager (PCM) providing a faxed discharge medication care plan from a tertiary care institution to primary care could improve medication appropriateness and reduce adverse events, rehospitalization and emergency department visits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Design. Randomized, controlled trial of 945 participants assigned to enhanced, minimal and usual care groups conducted 2007 to 2012. Subjects. Participants with cardiovascular-related conditions and/or asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were recruited from the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics following admission to general medicine, family medicine, cardiology or orthopedics. Intervention. The minimal group received admission history, medication reconciliation, patient education, discharge medication list and medication recommendations to inpatient team. The enhanced group also received a faxed medication care plan to their community physician and pharmacy and telephone call 3-5 days post-discharge. Participants were followed for 90 days post-discharge. Main Outcomes and Measures. Medication appropriateness index (MAI), adverse events, adverse drug events and post-discharge healthcare utilization were compared by study group using linear and logistic regression, as models accommodating random effects due to pharmacists indicated little clustering.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study groups were similar at baseline and the intervention fidelity was high. There were no statistically significant differences by study group in medication appropriateness, adverse events or adverse drug events at discharge, 30-day and 90-day post-discharge. The average MAI per medication as 0.53 at discharge and increased to 0.75 at 90 days, and this was true across all study groups. Post-discharge, about 16% of all participants experienced an adverse event, and this did not differ by study group (p > 0.05). Almost one-third of all participants had any type of healthcare utilization within 30 days post-discharge, where 15% of all participants had a 30-day readmission. Healthcare utilization post-discharge was not statistically significant different at 30 or 90 days by study group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pharmacist case manager did not affect medication use outcomes post-discharge perhaps because quality of care measures were high in all study groups.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT00513903, August 7, 2007.
authors.affiliation: College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor MI 48109-1065, USA. kfarris@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Karen B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Farris
authors.forename: Barry L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Yinghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jeffrey D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Constance
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shelsky
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Weetman
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Kaboli
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brooks
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019090:Case Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007484:Iowa; D008297:Male; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059065:Medication Reconciliation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010595:Pharmacists; D024382:Professional Role; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome