title: Patient satisfaction with the clinical pharmacist and prescribers during hepatitis C virus management.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clinical pharmacists play an important role in the management of patients undergoing hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. No satisfaction surveys have been published on clinical pharmacist interventions in HCV management. The objective was to evaluate patient satisfaction with clinical pharmacist and prescriber services in the HCV patient population at an urban academic hepatology clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous patient satisfaction survey was offered to patients who were initiating or receiving HCV treatment under the care of a clinical pharmacist. Survey items assessed demographics and satisfaction with HCV care. Satisfaction was assessed with 17 or 20 Likert-scale questions (1 = poor, 2 = fair, 3 = okay, 4 = good, 5 = great) and two or three open-ended questions. Survey results were analysed via comparative and descriptive statistics. A qualitative content analysis was used for the open-ended survey questions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Sixty-four patients completed 77 (24 pharmacist and 53 prescriber) patient satisfaction surveys. The mean age was 53 (±9·72) years. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the pharmacist and prescribers. All 24 (100%) patients ranked overall satisfaction with services provided by pharmacists as 'great', and 36 (69%) of 52 patients ranked overall satisfaction with services provided by prescribers as 'great'. Patients supported the inclusion of a clinical pharmacist on health care teams for other disease states.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the clinical pharmacist involved in HCV treatment management at an urban academic medical centre. Clinical pharmacist services were highly valued and recommended by the patients surveyed. The survey was able to identify areas in need of improvement in the clinic. Clinical pharmacists play an important role in the treatment and management of HCV. This survey may serve as a model for assessment of satisfaction in other pharmacist-run clinic settings.
authors: University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System, Chicago, IL, USA. mmichell@uic.edu.|University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, Chicago, IL, USA. mmichell@uic.edu.
authors: M T
authors: MT
authors: Martin
authors: Clinical Pharmacy Services, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Shrewsbury, MA, USA.
authors: D M
authors: DM
authors: Faber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019468:Disease Management; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: clinical pharmacists; hepatitis C virus; patient satisfaction; prescribers; survey