{
  "abstract": "Introduction Reducing inpatient stay for paediatric cardiac patients requires a multidisciplinary approach that balances high-quality care with timely discharge. A collaborative model involving specialist pharmacists, advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs), and cardiologists has demonstrated significant improvement in achieving this goal. Children with cardiac conditions present unique challenges due to variations in age and poor cardiac function.A collaboration ensures a holistic and safe transition of care from hospital to home. We explore how the integration of these professionals into a cohesive care team improves family experience, streamlines discharge processes and optimises resource utilisation.Method and Results The discharge service focuses on providing comprehensive care, including follow up management, linking with community care for transition, patient education, dose adjustment, and addressing adherence challenges. To achieve this a multidisciplinary team consisting of a cardiologist, five ANPs and a specialist pharmacist is in place to support the discharge service at a tertiary paediatric cardiac centre.Advanced nurse practitioners bridge clinical and administrative functions, conducting detailed patient assessments, coordinating multidisciplinary discussions, and prepare for at-home care. Post-cardiac surgery patients often require multiple medications (e.g., anticoagulants, diuretics, or inotropes), necessitating precise dosing and scheduling. The specialist pharmacist contributes through expertise in pharmacotherapy, ensuring that medications are accurately prescribed, dosed, and administered. Cardiologists oversee the clinical trajectory of paediatric cardiac patients, providing specialised input on diagnostics, procedural planning, and postoperative care. With their support the team can identify potential discharges.An audit was conducted and over a period of one year (January 2023- December 2023), 96 patients were discharged via the discharge team. On average over 50% of these patients were sent home within two weeks of surgery. Readmissions were less than 10%. This underscores the unique contribution of advance nurses and pharmacists in specialist area, creating a proactive, tailored, and family-oriented discharge service for children. It highlights the expertise, patient-centred care, and commitment to improving clinical outcomes in this vulnerable population.Conclusion A collaborative discharge service led by ANPs and supported by a specialist pharmacist demonstrated improved clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction in paediatric cardiac patients. This model highlights the importance of interprofessional collaboration in addressing the complexities of paediatric anticoagulation management. Scaling this approach could enhance care for similar populations and settings, ensuring safer and more effective long-term outcomes.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Sadhna Sharma"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK"
      ],
      "name": "Rachael Broomfield"
    }
  ],
  "title": "3-012 Dose by dose: how pharmacists collaborate with advance nurse practitioners for safe discharges for paediatric cardiac patients",
  "uid": "026aa9f4-e7a4-56e7-9399-c959cf4bbe7a"
}