Comparison of an In-Person versus a Virtual Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Communication

Early provision of interprofessional education (IPE) is imperative to ensure effective communication between healthcare professionals. However, there are several barriers to offering adequate IPE, including space restrictions and lack of human resources, prompting exploration of alternative modalities. In 2019, an IPE activity was offered in person with 213 pharmacy and 45 physician assistant (PA) students participating in one-on-one team huddles focusing on managing an acutely ill patient. In 2020, the same IPE activity, including 194 pharmacy and 45 PA students, was offered virtually. Peer evaluations, an attitudes survey, and confidence surveys were administered to evaluate the impact of the IPE activity. A student t-test and descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze the data. On average, PA students in the virtual group rated their peers higher than PA students in the in-person group, with little difference in the pharmacy peer evaluation of their PA partner. Ninety percent of pharmacy students and 91% of PA students in the virtual group felt that “they learned something new regarding therapeutic management” from their partner versus 84% of pharmacy and 81% of PA students in the in-person group. In conclusion, using a virtual modality for a communications-focused IPE was not detrimental to student attitudes and did not adversely affect peer perceptions

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice.” Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was “beneficial or very beneficial” to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity “somewhat or definitely” enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice. Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was beneficial or very beneficial to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity somewhat or definitely enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Peer Teaching in an Interprofessional Education Activity Focused on Professional Skills Development.

The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a peer-taught interprofessional education (IPE) activity on pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) student self-assessed confidence and attitudes related to professional skills. First-year pharmacy (n = 210) and PA (n = 45) students participated in a two-hour IPE activity. Forty-five teams consisting of one PA and at least four pharmacy students completed three peer-teaching stations focused on diabetes device education, pulmonary device teaching/case workup, and physical assessment skills. Students completed a pre- and post-activity confidence survey and a post-activity attitudes survey. For pharmacy students, highest confidence gains were noted on the items related to performing a physical exam. For PA students, largest gains were noted on the items related to insulin delivery systems. Eighty-three percent of students either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement I learned things during this IPE activity that I will implement in clinical practice. Seventy six percent of students felt that the physical assessment station was beneficial or very beneficial to their learning. A vast majority of students noted the IPE activity somewhat or definitely enhanced their communication with other health professionals and promoted a climate of mutual respect. In conclusion, peer teaching improved student attitudes and confidence

Use of Standardized Patient Simulations to Assess Impact of Motivational Interviewing Training on Social--Emotional Development

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of motivational interviewing (MI) training on students’ social–emotional development. Two simulations using standardized patients (SP) were conducted within a smoking cessation module. Students first completed a 4 h self-study module focused on smoking cessation tools and general counseling techniques. Faculty then administered a 15-item rubric focused on students’ self-assessment of their verbal/non-verbal communication, social–emotional competence and MI skills. Students then participated in a smoking cessation counseling session with an SP. SPs used the same rubric to assess student performance. Teaching assistants (TAs) observed and assessed the students using the same rubric and an additional 22 items related to clinical skills. TAs and SPs then provided feedback on areas of improvement. The following week, students first completed a 3 h self-study module on MI then participated in a different smoking cessation scenario. After completion, the 15-item self-assessment rubric was administered. There was a significant improvement in TA assessed student performance with an average score improvement of 8% (pre-intervention score = 67%; post-intervention mean = 75%). Students had dramatic gains in their self-assessment with their scores rising by an average of 22%. Using MI techniques can improve students’ self-assessed and perceived social–emotional competency

Effectiveness of music interventions to reduce test anxiety in pharmacy students

Background: The main objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the impact of a classroom activity involving music on anxiety associated with preparing for and taking an assessment. Methods: Two hundred and two (202) pharmacy students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of the experimental study: active music playing (n = 103) versus passive music listening (n = 99). All students completed a pre-test, a mid-test, and a post-test including: an “Attitudes and Perceptions” survey, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults (STAI Survey), and a knowledge assessment. Data were analyzed to determine the impact each of the music interventions had on students’ test anxiety. Results: Both types of musical interventions produced similar results in terms of anxiety reduction. Faced with an upcoming test prior to the musical intervention, average state-trait anxiety scores increased; after the musical intervention, state-trait anxiety scores decreased. Conclusions: The use of music helped to reduce test anxiety, even after one brief musical intervention, regardless of whether students passively listened to music or actively played music

Training Students on the Pharmacist Patient Care Process using an Electronic Health Record and Simulations

Objective: To measure the impact of an electronic health record (EHR) and simulated physician encounters on student knowledge and skills related to the implementation phase of the Pharmacist Patient Care Process (PPCP). Secondary objectives were to measure students’ self-perceived abilities. Methods: Students enrolled in a therapeutics course worked-up patient cases within an EHR. Students entered orders/ prescriptions into the computerised provider order entry (CPOE) platform. Faculty graded student work using a rubric. Students completed an instructor-developed pre-post attitudes survey and knowledge quiz. Results: Two hundred students participated in this study and worked-up seven cases. Scores ranged from 67.7% to 88.2% on the case work-ups and 78.6% to 91.1% on the order/prescription-entry components. Individual scores on the quiz improved from 15.3/20 to 17.3/20 (p\u3c0.001). Aggregate ratings on the attitudes survey increased from 23.2 to 31.0 (p\u3c0.001). Conclusion: Use of an EHR coupled with simulation was well-received and improved student understanding of the PPCP

Impact of tofacitinib on patient outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis: review of clinical studies

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, progressive autoimmune disease associated with inflammation and destruction of joints and systemic effects, which result in significant impact on patient\u27s quality of life and function. Tofacitinib was approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the USA in 2012 and subsequently in other countries, but not by the European Medicines Agency. The goal of this review was to evaluate the impact of tofacitinib on patient-reported and patient-specific outcomes from prior clinical studies, focusing on quality of life, functionality, pain, global disease assessment, major adverse consequences, and withdrawals. A total of 13 reports representing 11 clinical studies on tofacitinib in rheumatoid arthritis were identified through PubMed and reference lists in meta-analyses and other reviews. Data on improvements in patient-driven composite tools to measure disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis, such as the Health Assessment Questionnaire, served as a major outcome evaluated in this review and were extracted from each study. Additional data extracted from those clinical studies included patient assessment of pain (using a 0–100 mm visual analog scale), patient global assessment of disease (using a 0–100 mm visual analog scale), patient withdrawals, withdrawals due to adverse effects or lack of effect, and risk of serious adverse effects, serious infections, and deaths. Tofacitinib 5 mg bid appears to have a favorable impact on patient outcomes related to efficacy and safety when compared with baseline values and with comparator disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and placebo. Improvements were seen in the composite and individual measures of disease activity. Serious adverse effects, other adverse consequences, overall withdrawals, and withdrawals due to adverse effects and lack of efficacy are similar or more favorable for tofacitinib versus comparator disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and placebo. At this point, tofacitinib appears to have an important role in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis through improvement in these patient outcomes. However, it may require years of additional clinical studies and postmarketing surveillance to fully characterize the benefit-to-risk ratio of tofacitinib in a larger and diverse patient population

American College of Clinical Pharmacy White Paper: Cultural Competency in Health Care and Its Implications for Pharmacy Part 3A: Emphasis on Pharmacy Education, Curriculums, and Future Directions

Culture influences patients\u27 beliefs and behaviors toward health and illness. As the U.S. population becomes more diverse, a critical need exists for pharmacy education to incorporate patient-centered culturally sensitive health care knowledge and skills into the curriculum. Nursing was the first profession to incorporate this type of learning and training into its curriculums, followed by medicine. Pharmacy has also made great progress to revise curriculums, but inconsistency exists in depth, breadth, and methods across pharmacy colleges. This article addresses important aspects of pharmacy education such as curriculum development, incorporation of educational innovations and techniques into the teaching of patient-centered culturally sensitive health care across the curriculum from didactic to experiential learning, assessment tools, and global education. A preliminary model curriculum with objectives and examples of teaching methods is proposed. Future directions in pharmacy education, teaching and learning scholarship, postgraduate education, licensure, and continuing education are also presented