[Implementation and evaluation satisfaction of the city-hospital link in a medical oncology department of a university hospital: An observational prospective study].

Abstract

Introduction: The care of cancer patients involves a large number of healthcare professionals. Communication at the transition points between healthcare establishments and primary care providers needs to be improved. The aim of this study is to evaluate the satisfaction of community pharmacists regarding the transmission of the discharge letter when their patient is discharged from an oncology ward.

Methods: The patients included were those discharged from hospital with one or more changes in treatment during their hospitalization in the Multidisciplinary Medial Oncology Unit of the University Hospital Center of Nantes and who returned home. From April 1, 2023 to December 1, 2023, a seventeen-question questionnaire was e-mailed to the community pharmacists of the patients included in the study.

Results: Forty-eight patients benefited from medication reconciliation at discharge. Thirty-eight pharmacists (79%) responded to the questionnaire. Of the 35 pharmacists that indicated they had received the discharge letter, 32 found it useful (42.9%) or very useful (48.6%), and were in favor of receiving it via e-mail (97.2%). For 94.3% of pharmacists, the document provided sufficient information.

Discussion: Transmitting the discharge letter to dispensing pharmacists would seem to be an interesting option for fostering the city-hospital link. Its presentation and content seemed to meet the expectations of community pharmacists. The pharmacists felt that the continuity of care was important for ensuring their patient's care, but that it required improvement.