Presenter:
Brie Weir
Authors:
Ali Reza Ladak, Brie Weir
Poster Abstract:
Problem Identified
Students enter the PharmD program with varied levels of experience, often having difficulty visualizing patient-centred care. Many students also question the feasibility of providing patient care in a community pharmacy.
Innovation
An online interactive branching scenario was developed and piloted in 2022W. Analysis of student reflections found the most perceived benefits to include improved communication, understanding of real-world challenges, and student confidence.
Methods
The scenario was reassigned in 2023W1 to PY1 students (n=227). A post-activity survey focused on the impact on student understanding of communication in pharmacy practice and consisted of Likert-style questions and open text responses. All submissions were anonymous, and students could opt out; incomplete submissions were discarded. From the remaining submissions (n=134), descriptive statistics were calculated, and themes identified.
Findings
Respondents agreed that the activity supported the understanding of how to effectively communicate with patients (96%). From a list of skills, respondents indicated that the activity helped them (1) develop empathy (86%), (2) be professional when communicating (91%), and (3) tailor responses to the situation and patient (86%). Respondents found the inclusion of negative outcomes of clinical decisions increased their understanding of potential challenges to patient care (73%), better prepared them for real-world scenarios (75%), and to be very or extremely useful (61%). Students reported a 2.18-point jump in confidence in providing patient care on a 10-point scale.
Implications
Our project highlights the effectiveness of high-quality branching scenarios for supporting student development of communication skills within the context of community pharmacy practice.
