The eHealth Center is a subdivision of the P3 Program — the clinical arm of the Center for Innovative Pharmacy Solutions (CIPS) at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy.
At the eHealth Center, all patient care services are delivered by leveraging technology housed in a location remote from the patient and providers in scenarios where advanced practice pharmacists work closely within a patient-centered team based model.
Watch this two-minute video for an inside look at the P3 Program's eHealth Center, which is equipped with HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing technology to optimize pharmacy care for patients.
Innovative Health Care Delivery
Pharmacist-to-patient comprehensive medication management services and provider-to-provider medication information/consultation, as well as multidisciplinary patient visits, are delivered via HIPAA-compliant video technology such as Zoom®, Vidyo®, and Skype® for Business, while provider-to-provider instant text messaging occurs via DocHalo®.
In addition, eHealth Center advanced practice pharmacists are proficient in the use of and able to document in various electronic medical records (EMRs), including: EPIC®, Cerner®, Athena®, and ThinkEHRx, which allows pharmacists to function in an embedded team-based model, despite working from a remote location.
Care delivery in this manner allows for efficient use of the pharmacist's resources, while improving patient’s access to care in scenarios where distance, lack of transportation, and inconvenience might be a barrier to some patients, especially those who live in rural areas.
A large percentage of clinical programs within CIPS are currently delivered through the eHealth Center, including transitions of care services, chronic disease state medication management services, medication reconciliation services, comprehensive medication reviews, and targeted intervention services.
Staffing and Education
The eHealth Center is staffed by advanced practice pharmacists, PGY2 ambulatory care residents, fourth-year student pharmacists, student interns, and certified pharmacy technicians, and is backed by more than 30 expert faculty members at the School of Pharmacy.
Strict policies, procedures, protocols, and workflows are in place for the center's daily operations. Pharmacist services are delivered in a standardized fashion following the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process released by the Joint Commission of Pharmacy Practitioners (JCPP), which involves a patient-centered approach that includes:
- Collection of pertinent subjective and objective patient information.
- Assess information collected and analyze, identify, and prioritize medication related problems.
- Plan of care to be developed in collaboration with other health care professionals.
- Implement care plan in collaboration with other health care professionals and patient or caregiver.
- Follow-up to monitor and evaluate effectiveness of plan of care.
Centralizing Pharmacy Services
In addition to providing comprehensive medication management services, the eHealth Center provides centralized administrative support services, including receipt of patient referrals, managing appointment schedules, and setting patient appointments in collaboration with our health care partners and practitioners.