A pilot study to improve medication-guidance quality using medical records in the regional collaboration system "Kinshachi Medinet"

Insurance pharmacies are required to centrally and continuously record patient medication information, manage and instruct patients, and treat patients utilizing Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Therefore, we investigated the use of information on the regional cooperation system "Kinshachi-medinet" (KM) in the pharmacies of Nagoya Medical Center. Ten patients, who visited the hospital from September 2015 to July 2016 and agreed to share information on KM, were included in this study. The most-viewed items on KM were records of doctors and pharmacists. The use of information was significantly higher on days other than the prescription-issue date (P=0.019). The number of patient visits was correlated with the number for views of consultations on KM, and the views of consultations was found to increase proportionally (r= 0.82) with the number of visiting patients. It was suggested that availability of patient information on KM was related to the way medication guidance was practiced. After the disclosure of electronic medical record (EMR) on KM, it was found that the EMRs were browsed on days other than the patient-visit day also. This implies a change in the way medication guidance is done. It was recommended that using ICT for sharing medical information between different stakeholders is essential for business efficiency and continuous care of patients, and sharing information through KM is one of the means for insurance pharmacies to play a part in community comprehensive care by more robust cooperation with various stakeholders and multiple institutions.