Development of a paediatric triage tool for use by pharmacists to aid clinical prioritisation of patients and delivery of pharmaceutical care

Tait, Jennifer and Thomson, Kirsten and Kinnear, Moira and Akram, Gazala and Souter, Caroline (2018) Development of a paediatric triage tool for use by pharmacists to aid clinical prioritisation of patients and delivery of pharmaceutical care. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 103 (2). e1. ISSN 0003-9888 (https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2017-314584.7)

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Abstract

Aim To gain consensus from an expert paediatric and neonatal clinical pharmacist panel on criteria to be applied in the design of a triage tool for use in paediatric and neonatal settings. Methods The ‘Delphi Technique’1 was used to identify pharmaceutical care issues, known as criteria, to aid in the prioritisation and targeting of pharmacists’ time to deliver pharmaceutical care to paediatric and neonatal patients. Criteria based ’statements’ based upon the literature2–4 were developed and put into a questionnaire format which was distributed amongst members of the Scottish Neonatal and Paediatric Pharmacy Group (SNAPP). A five point Likert-scale and option for free hand text was used to record responses. Responses were analysed and used to modify subsequent rounds of the Delphi technique. Results 18 criteria were identified for use in the triage tool and were largely characterised upon time of review. Criteria pertaining to daily review included patients prescribed high risk medicines, psychotropic medication, continuous infusions and those with severe, acute kidney injury. Criteria pertaining to 48-hourly review included patients with stable chronic renal failure and mild kidney injury. Criteria for 72-hourly review included stable patients with no acute issues. Conclusion A triage tool to aid pharmaceutical prioritisation in paediatric and neonatal patients has been developed and will be piloted for use in clinical practice.

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