How Does the Electronic Collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes Improve Patient Engagement in Pharmacy Encounters? A Multi-Method Study

Routine collection of Patient-Reported Outcomes (PRO) can enhance patient-pharmacist communication and identify medication-related concerns. This study aims to (1) explore patients’ experiences with RxTalk™, an electronic PRO tool; (2) describe the influence of RxTalk™ on patients’ attributes and the dynamics of communication; (3) identify suggestions for future improvements. This study is part of a pilot randomized controlled trial in which patients completed questions on RxTalk™ in the pharmacy before they spoke with the pharmacist. Patients’ interaction with pharmacists was tape-recorded and analyzed, and phone interviews were conducted with patients within one week. We integrated data from RxTalk™, observations, taped encounters, and interviews to provide a thicker description of patients’ experiences with RxTalk™ and its impact on their communication behavior. 70% of patients found RxTalk™ easy to use, and 59% perceived RxTalk™ as very useful to extremely useful. Triangulated findings show that RxTalk™ met patients’ social and informational needs, improved their communication skills, and cultivated a sense of privacy to share concerns. Furthermore, RxTalk™ validated the appropriateness of reporting any health and medication concerns. Given that patients had a positive experience with RxTalk™, pharmacists should consider integrating PRO tools into their daily services to improve patient interactions and quality of care.