Department of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Isra University, Amman, Jordan.
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Salt, Jordan.
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2024 Jun;20(6):123-133. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2024.02.018. Epub 2024 Mar 5.
The global increase in kidney stone incidence and its complications emphasise the need for effective management. While pharmacists can play a significant role in counselling and guiding patients, their practices in managing patients with kidney stones remain unclear.
OBJECTIVE(S): To explore counselling practices and experiences of pharmacists when dealing with patients with kidney stones and to identify the barriers they face while providing counselling.
A qualitative study was performed using semi-structured phone interviews with pharmacists practising in Jordan. Pharmacists were selected using quota sampling from those who took part in a previous study focused on pharmacists' knowledge of kidney stone aetiology and treatment. The COM-B Model of Behaviour Change was used to develop the interview guide and the analytical framework. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a deductive thematic approach based on the pre-specified analytical framework.
Seven pharmacists (85.7% female; 57.1% working in community pharmacies) were interviewed. Counselling practices of patients with kidney stones were categorised into five themes: (1) Pharmacists' beliefs about patient counselling: perceived importance and desire to improve health through counselling; (2) Most priority patients: Types of patients mostly counselled; (3) Content of kidney stones-specific counselling: patient assessment and recommendations about kidney stones management; (4) Duration of the counselling sessions: time offered and influencing factors; (5) Barriers to patient counselling: patient-related, and pharmacist- and doctor-related challenges.
Pharmacists recognise the crucial role of kidney stones counselling but face gaps in their practices, including incomplete dietary education, limited knowledge of medication prescriptions, inconsistent patient-specific approaches, and potential communication challenges. These gaps can be overcome by enhancing training, standardising protocols of kidney stone treatment, promoting interprofessional communication, and improving communication strategies. Future research, including quantitative assessments, is needed to inform strategies that optimise patient counselling practices and facilitate improved outcomes.
全球肾结石发病率及其并发症的增加强调了有效管理的必要性。药剂师在为患者提供建议和指导方面可以发挥重要作用，但他们在管理肾结石患者方面的实践仍不清楚。
探讨药剂师在处理肾结石患者时的咨询实践和经验，并确定他们在提供咨询时面临的障碍。
采用半结构式电话访谈的定性研究方法，对在约旦执业的药剂师进行访谈。药剂师是根据先前一项专注于药剂师对肾结石病因和治疗知识的研究中参与的情况，采用配额抽样选择的。采用行为改变的 COM-B 模型制定访谈指南和分析框架。访谈内容逐字转录，并根据预先指定的分析框架，采用演绎主题分析方法进行分析。
共访谈了 7 名药剂师（85.7%为女性；57.1%在社区药房工作）。对肾结石患者的咨询实践进行了分类，分为以下五个主题：（1）药剂师对患者咨询的信念：通过咨询改善健康的重要性和愿望；（2）最优先考虑的患者：最常咨询的患者类型；（3）肾结石具体咨询内容：患者评估和肾结石管理建议；（4）咨询会议的持续时间：提供的时间和影响因素；（5）患者咨询的障碍：患者相关、药剂师和医生相关的挑战。
药剂师认识到肾结石咨询的关键作用，但在实践中存在差距，包括饮食教育不完整、药物处方知识有限、针对患者的方法不一致，以及潜在的沟通挑战。通过加强培训、标准化肾结石治疗方案、促进专业间沟通以及改进沟通策略，可以克服这些差距。需要进行未来的研究，包括定量评估，以提供优化患者咨询实践和促进改善结果的策略信息。
