Pharmacists and pharmacy students' perceptions on how a new teaching model supports their clinical decision-making

Josephine F Mertens*, Thomas G H Kempen, Ellen S Koster, Vera H M Deneer, Marcel L Bouvy, Teun van Gelder

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Background and purpose: Clinical decision-making (CDM) is crucial in pharmacy practice, necessitating effective teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy education. This study aims to explore undergraduates and postgraduates' perceptions of how a new teaching model supports their CDM when addressing patient cases. Educational activity and setting: Implemented in a full-day CDM course for pharmacy students and a half-day course for pharmacists in the Netherlands, the model, accompanied by a learning guide, facilitated CDM in patient cases. Eight courses were conducted between September 2022 to June 2023, followed by an online survey measuring participants' agreement on how the model supported their CDM, using a 5-point Likert scale. Additionally, three open-ended questions were included to elicit learning outcomes and self-development opportunities. Findings: Of 175 invited participants, 159 (91%) completed the survey. Most agreed the teaching model supported their CDM, particularly in considering the patient's healthcare needs and context (96%), and exploring all available options (96%). Participants found the model provided a clear structure (97%), and fostered critical thinking (93%). The most frequently mentioned learning outcomes and self-development opportunities included collecting sufficient relevant information, maintaining a broad perspective, and decelerating the process to avoid premature closure. Participants agreed that the teaching model helped them to make clinical decisions. Both undergraduate and postgraduate pharmacy education could possibly benefit from the teaching model's implementation in supporting pharmacy students and pharmacists conducting CDM in pharmacy practice.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102136
JournalCurrents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning
Volume16
Issue number10
Early online date1 Jul 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2024

Bibliographical note

Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Funding

This study received an unconditional grant from the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association (\u2018Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie\u2019 (KNMP)).

FundersFunder number
Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association
Koninklijke Nederlandse Maatschappij ter bevordering der Pharmacie
KNMP

    Keywords

    • Clinical decision-making
    • Clinical reasoning
    • Course design
    • Education
    • Learning guide
    • Pharmacists

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