Assessing Pharmacy Student Performance and Perceptions on Counseling Skills Through a Simulated Telehealth Encounter

Abstract

Objective. To describe implementation of a patient counseling roleplay assessment via teleconferencing platform in a newly-developed pharmacy communications course, assess student performance on the roleplay and compare it with other assessments, and measure student perceptions of and satisfaction with the experience. Methods. Eighteen cases were developed, each belonging to one of three interactions in community pharmacy: new prescription, refill, or over-the-counter (OTC) medication request. A rubric was designed to evaluate each type of interaction. Student scores in various course assessments were tested using Spearman's rank-order. Student scores in the three cases were compared using Kruskal-Wallis H. Students evaluated their experience and satisfaction of the assessment and effectiveness of the course. Results. Seventy-nine students completed the assessment with a mean score of 17.4/20 (87.0%). Student scores in counseling roleplay were similar among case types and positively correlated with other traditional assessments in the course. Despite internet connectivity issues, and heightened student anxiety, 71.0% agreed that the assessment did not affect the quality of their counseling, and 74.0% agreed that the experience was comparable to traditional assessments. The telehealth activity led to enhanced perceived student knowledge and confidence in interviewing and counseling patients. Conclusion.Students attained high scores that were consistent with other assessments in the course. Students reported the assessment did not affect the quality of their counseling, and felt the setting and context were still authentic. The experience required dedicated preparation and organization, but was successful in demonstrating overall student satisfaction and positive perceptions.

Education and Training for Improving Pharmacist’s Telepharmacy Competencies: A Scoping Review

“…Those methods promote effectiveness in evaluating students' performance, especially in technical or affective skills such as communication in patient assessments, counselling, or medication history taking. In addition, clinical skills can also be assessed within the expected outputs from cases that students should identify (18)(19)(20)(21)(24)(25)(26) .…”

“…Telepharmacy learning can be distributed throughout the pharmacy education level. In the first and second years, pharmacy students were directed towards learning objectives aimed at introducing telepharmacy, enhancing their knowledge, and fostering positive attitudes while also acquainting them with the nuances of communication techniques through technological media (18,19,25) . Then, in the subsequent years, the clinical skills in various scopes of pharmacy services should be assessed by implementing appropriate learning methods.…”

“…Based on the identified studies, several assessment methods followed the expected competencies. Rubric-based scoring was implemented in roleplay and virtual OSCE to evaluate student performance in communication and clinical skills (18,20,21,25) . Students' level of knowledge and perceptions were assessed using quizzes, questionnaires, or essays (19,23,24,26) .…”

“…Details of the included studies can be seen in Table 1. Most studies were relatively new since they were published in the last ten years in the American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education (18)(19)(20)(21)(22) . Only two studies (in Malaysia and the USA) were published in 2002 and 2004, respectively (23,24) .…”

Efforts of Guidance Counseling Teachers in Handling Students: High School Level

“…aims to develop the potential of students to become human beings who believe and fear God Almighty, have a noble character, are healthy, knowledgeable, capable, creative, independent, and become democratic and responsible citizens (Rasmani, 2019). So make it a serious thing for exponents of counseling guidance to improve students who develop abilities and form dignified national character and civilization (Hasan, 2022).…”