Open AccessMeasuring the educational benefits of using a virtual patient to practice pharmacist-patient consultations
Author(s) -
Charlotte Lucy Richardson,
Stephen Chapman,
Simon White
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
pharmacy education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.198
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1477-2701
pISSN - 1560-2214
DOI - 10.46542/pe.2021.211.382389
Subject(s) - pharmacist , descriptive statistics , health professionals , virtual patient , medicine , family medicine , psychology , health care , nursing , medical education , pharmacy , statistics , mathematics , economics , economic growth
Objective: Virtual patients (VPs) are a method of simulating clinical practice however little is known about their use by healthcare professionals. This study explores if, and how, one VP is educationally beneficial for pharmacists and pre-registration trainees to teach non-vitamin K oral anticoagulant (NOAC) patient counselling.Method: The evaluation used a before and after questionnaire measuring self-perceived counselling ability; further questions considered the outcomes of VP use. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics; ethical approval was granted by Keele University.Results: There was an average improvement in the user’s (n=94) self-perceived ability to conduct NOAC counselling (+10.2%). Although, there was variation in educational outcomes with changes in both knowledge and confidence reported. Some reported a decreased ability, but they were still positive towards the VP as it may have had a regulatory effect.Conclusion: Most users perceived multiple benefits of use; more generic outcomes related to counselling skills were also reported.