Human Patient Simulation in a Pharmacotherapy Course

Abstract

Objective. To incorporate human patient simulation (HPS) into a pharmacotherapy course and evaluate its impact on students' satisfaction and mastery of course objectives. Design. Various levels of HPS were used for clinical skills assessments, reinforcement of concepts previously introduced in class, and presentation of simulated patient case scenarios requiring criticalthinking and problem-solving abilities. Pre-and post-simulation examinations and a satisfaction survey instrument were administered. Assessment. Significant improvement was seen in students' knowledge on post-simulation examinations. On problem-solving skills, the majority of student groups received a final case grade .95%. Students indicated high levels of satisfaction with the use of HPS in the course and showed increased levels of confidence in their pharmacotherapy/patient care skills. Conclusion. Human patient simulation provided a unique opportunity for students to apply what they learned and allowed them to practice problem-solving skills. Students grew in confidence and knowledge through exposure to realistic simulation of clinical scenarios. Students showed improvement in knowledge and ability to resolve patient treatment problems, as well as in self-confidence.

High-Fidelity Simulation Training in Advanced Resuscitation for Pharmacy Residents

“…21 In 2008, HFPS was integrated into an Introduction to Critical Care course and the students' knowledge of and confidence in pharmacotherapy and patient-care skills significantly improved. 23 Our study generated similar results and it was the first study to evaluate the effectiveness of simulationbased training on practicing pharmacy residents. While the UCSDMC standard for pharmacist participation on the cardiac arrest team is the biennial completion of a written competency test, several studies have exposed the failure of written examinations to predict the successful acquisition of practical skill sets.…”

“…4 In contrast, Seybert and colleagues established that using HFPS with pharmacy students can lead to a significant improvement in knowledge, confidence, and ability to interpret data. [21][22][23] We are unaware of any studies demonstrating the effectiveness of HFPS with pharmacists participating in resuscitation teams. The purpose of our investigation was to evaluate how this mode of education can impact advanced resuscitation knowledge, competency, and confidence of acute care PGY1 pharmacy residents from the University of California San Diego Medical Center (UCSDMC).…”

“…[17][18][19] High-fidelity simulation in pharmacy education has also been well received with a significant improvement in knowledge and problemsolving skills. 4,[20][21][22][23] One study showed that pharmacy students felt HFPS enhanced their understanding of ACLS but they demonstrated poor knowledge retention at 3 months. 4 In contrast, Seybert and colleagues established that using HFPS with pharmacy students can lead to a significant improvement in knowledge, confidence, and ability to interpret data.…”

A Report of Second Year Pharmacy StudentsÂ’ Experience after Using a Virtual Dispensing Program

“…In relation to pharmacy education, anecdotal evidence suggests simple simulation techniques such as role plays and case studies are currently being used and have been for many years. There is some research available for the use of more complex and immersive experiential simulation techniques that have been used in pharmacy schools, to teach a range of technical and non-technical skills, including critical care [10], interdisciplinary teamwork [11], and pharmacotherapy skills [12].…”

Pharmacy Students' Learning and Satisfaction With High-Fidelity Simulation to Teach Drug-Induced Dyspepsia

“…Following the intervention, the medication administration error rates of nurses in the study group significantly decreased from 30.8% to 4% (p ,0.001) compared to nurses in a control group whose error rates increased from 20.8% to 36.7% (p 5 0.002) over the same period of time. 14 The value of using high-fidelity manikins in pharmacy has been investigated to teach critical thinking, clinical reasoning, and problem-solving skills 7,10,15,16 ; advanced cardiovascular support 17 ; medical emergencies and critical care management 7,9 ; team-working skills and interprofessional working 16,18 ; end of life care 19 ; technical skills; and performance-based pharmacotherapy principles 15,20 In these studies, simulation was mainly used for formative assessment. Also, a variety of assessment methods was used to qualitatively and quantitatively examine the impact of simulation-based learning.…”