Development of Clinical Pharmacy Key Performance Indicators for Hospital Pharmacists Using a Modified Delphi Approach

• Published in: The Annals of pharmacotherapy Vol. 49; no. 6; pp. 656 - 669
• Main Authors: Fernandes, Olavo, Gorman, Sean K., Slavik, Richard S., Semchuk, William M., Shalansky, Steve, Bussières, Jean-François, Doucette, Douglas, Bannerman, Heather, Lo, Jennifer, Shukla, Simone, Chan, Winnie W. Y., Benninger, Natalie, MacKinnon, Neil J., Bell, Chaim M., Slobodan, Jeremy, Lyder, Catherine, Zed, Peter J., Toombs, Kent
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01-06-2015
• Subjects: Consensus; Delphi Technique; Humans; Medication Reconciliation - methods; Patient Discharge; Pharmacists - organization & administration; Pharmacists - standards; Pharmacy Service, Hospital - organization & administration; Pharmacy Service, Hospital - standards; key performance indicators; clinical pharmacy; Delphi consensus; process-of-care indicators
• ISSN: 1060-0280; 1542-6270
• DOI: 10.1177/1060028015577445

Background: Key performance indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measures of quality. There are no published, systematically derived clinical pharmacy KPIs (cpKPIs). Objective: A group of hospital pharmacists aimed to develop national cpKPIs to advance clinical pharmacy practice and improve patient care. Methods: A cpKPI working group established a cpKPI definition, 8 evidence-derived cpKPI critical activity areas, 26 candidate cpKPIs, and 11 cpKPI ideal attributes in addition to 1 overall consensus criterion. Twenty-six clinical pharmacists and hospital pharmacy leaders participated in an internet-based 3-round modified Delphi survey. Panelists rated 26 candidate cpKPIs using 11 cpKPI ideal attributes and 1 overall consensus criterion on a 9-point Likert scale. A meeting was facilitated between rounds 2 and 3 to debate the merits and wording of candidate cpKPIs. Consensus was reached if 75% or more of panelists assigned a score of 7 to 9 on the consensus criterion during the third Delphi round. Results: All panelists completed the 3 Delphi rounds, and 25/26 (96%) attended the meeting. Eight candidate cpKPIs met the consensus definition: (1) performing admission medication reconciliation (including best-possible medication history), (2) participating in interprofessional patient care rounds, (3) completing pharmaceutical care plans, (4) resolving drug therapy problems, (5) providing in-person disease and medication education to patients, (6) providing discharge patient medication education, (7) performing discharge medication reconciliation, and (8) providing bundled, proactive direct patient care activities. Conclusions: A Delphi panel of hospital pharmacists was successful in determining 8 consensus cpKPIs. Measurement and assessment of these cpKPIs will serve to advance clinical pharmacy practice and improve patient care.