GMU College of Pharmacy Master in Clinical Pharmacy student, Naira Hany Helmy Sayed published her masters research on December 19, 2020, titled as “Pharmacist-led heart failure patient focus group using mobile apps-based intervention mix”. [link]
Naira completed this research project under the supervision of Dr. Seeba Zachariah and Dr. Dixon Thomas of Gulf Medical University, and Dr. Jason Cooper of Medical University of South Carolina, USA. She is currently working as a hospital pharmacist at Emirates Specialty Hospital, Dubai. She performed this research work when she was employed at Thumbay Pharmacy and Pharmacist on-call at Thumbay Hospital, Ajman.
Naira recruited heart failure patients to the study from those who are admitted to Thumbay Hospital, Ajman. She installed “MyTherapy” app to the eligible and consented patients and followed them up for medication adherence, health-related quality of life, and 30-days all-cause hospital readmission rate. Patients were discharged from Thumbay Hospital, Ajman, with detailed patient counseling by Naira and followed up using a custom-made WhatsApp group and occasional phone calls. She continued to provide her pharmaceutical care through technological support stationed at Thumbay Pharmacy, mainly with the mobile apps; MyTherapy and WhatsApp. MyTherapy is a pill reminder app. Studies showed pill reminder apps alone are not good enough to improve patient outcomes; that is the reason Naira used a mix of interventions that did work well.
None of the heart failure patients were readmitted to the hospital, not only in 30 days but for 3 months until the study was stopped. Statistically significant improvements were achieved in medication adherence and health-related quality of life.
Vice Chancellor for Quality & Global Engagement and Dean of the College of Pharmacy, Prof. Sherief Khalifa applauded the work of Naira in improving patient care and exploring an approach that improves patient outcomes from a distance with technological support. Such pharmacy practice innovations will constitute the ABCs of tomorrow’s profession.